A butter diet induces higher levels of n-3 PUFA and of n−3/n−6 PUFA ratio in rat serum and hearts than a safflower oil diet

Abstract

The effects of a 47-week diet of butter or safflower oil as fat in combination with casein or soy protein as protein were observed for the serum concentrations of lipids and fatty acid compositions in rat serum and heart. Serum total cholesterol (Chol) did not differ among the four experimental diet groups. In the butter groups, significantly higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-Chol and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-Chol were observed than in the safflower oil groups (p<0.005, respectively). Higher levels of α-tocopherol were found in the butter groups than in the safflower oil groups (p<0.05) and in the casein groups than in the soy protein groups (p<0.01). In comparison with the safflower oil groups, the butter groups showed higher n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) contents and lower n-6 PUFA contents in serum and the hearts (p<0.005). The ratios of n-3/n-6 PUFA in the butter groups in serum, 0.26 and 0.18, and in the hearts, 0.37 and 0.36, (butter-casein diet and butter-soy protein diet, respectively) were higher than those of the safflower oil groups of under 0.01 in serum and 0.02 and 0.03 in the hearts (safflower oil-casein diet and safflower oil-soy protein diet, respectively) (p<0.005). In the soy protein groups, higher n-3 PUFA contents in the hearts were found than those of the casein groups (p<0.05). This study suggested that the butter diet induces higher levels of n-3 PUFA and a higher n-3/n-6 PUFA ratio than the safflower oil diet in rat serum and hearts over a long feeding period.

α-Tocopherol Protects Lipopolysaccharide-Activated BV2 Microglia

“…Vitamin E, particularly α-tocopherol, can easily be obtained and consumed by most of the world's population. Vitamin E isoforms are naturally present in various foods, mainly of vegetable origin, such as cereals, legumes, seeds, and seed oil [6], as well as in some foods of animal origin such as milk [7], dairy products [8], animal fats such as butter [9], egg yolk [10], and some fish products [11]. These types of foods are present in some diets, such as the ketogenic diet, which is rich in fats and proteins but low in carbohydrates and causes an effect similar to fasting by directing the body into a state of ketosis [12].…”