Arachidonic Acid and Long-Chain n−3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Contents in Meat of Selected Poultry and Fish Species in Relation to Dietary Fat Sources

Abstract

Arachidonic acid (AA) content, long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) equivalent [LCE; calculated as 0.15 x linolenic acid (LA) + eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)], and PUFA n-6/PUFA n-3 ratio were determined in meat [breast meat (BM), thigh meat (TM), and fillets (F), respectively] within four sets of chickens, five sets of turkeys, one set of common carp, and four sets of rainbow trout, fed either commercial diet or diets with manipulated PUFA n-3 and PUFA n-6 contents. AA content was within the range of 20 mg/100 g (F of rainbow trout fed the diet with linseed oil, LO) to 138 mg/100 g (TM of chickens fed restrictively the diet based on maize to the age of 90 days). AA content in BM of turkeys fed the diet with LO or fish oil (FO) did not differ (P > 0.05) from that of rainbow trout F. LCE was in the range of 16 mg/100 g (BM of turkeys fed a commercial feed mixture) to 681 mg/100 g (F of rainbow trout fed a commercial feed mixture). With regard to BM, only turkeys fed the diet with LO deposited more (P < 0.01) LCE (71 mg/100 g) as compared to all other poultry sets except turkeys fed the diet with FO (123 mg/100 g). Apart from all fish samples, also both BM and TM of turkeys fed the diet with either LO or FO met the recommended value of the PUFA n-6/PUFA n-3 ratio (<4). AA content in the tissue increased significantly (P < 0.001) with increasing dietary LA in both all chicken tissues and all turkey tissues, which is contrary to the suggested strong metabolic regulation of the AA formation. When all tissues within all animal species were taken as a one set, both AA percentage and EPA + DHA percentage in the tissue (Y, %) decreased (P < 0.001) with increasing fat content in the tissue (X, %), according to the equation Y = 4.7 - 0.54X (R (2) = 0.41) and Y = 6.0 - 0.33X (R (2) = 0.35), respectively. AA content in chicken BM, chicken TM, and turkey BM, respectively, decreased linearly (P < 0.01) with increasing live weight reached at the slaughter age.

Fatty Acid Composition in Intramuscular Lipids of Experimental Scaly Crossbreds in 3-Year-Old Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

“…eicosanoids (prostaglandins, thrombaxanes and leucotrienes), which are produced from arachidonic acid (C20 : 4n-6), negatively influence human health because they increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and immune system diseases (proinflammatory and proaggregatory properties). C20 : 4n-6 levels in carp IMl in our experiment were very low (PS × ROP: 0.53 ± 0.02%) and they were comparable with data (carp: 1.0 ± 0.0%) published by Komprda et al (2005), who monitored the effect of diets of different composition on the FA spectrum in white meat (in chicken, turkey, carp and trout meat). The authors greatly emphasized the evaluation of the levels of the socalled long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid.…”

“…Therefore, Okuyama et al (1997) recommended that the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio be ≤ 2. The same PUFA ratio in fish has also been evaluated in the studies by Fajmonová et al (2003) and Komprda et al (2005). Other authors monitoring fatty acid profiles (in % of total determined fatty acids or in gkg -1 tissue) in fish (Steffens 1997, Rasoarahona et al 2004 propose that their reverse ratio (n-3/n-6 PUFA ratio) be used in evaluating FA presence.…”

“…The same fatty acid composition in carp fed with wheat has also been used in the studies of Steffens (1997) and Fajmonová et al (2005). However, the C18 : 1n-9 acid and MUFA amounts in total lipids ascertained in their experiments were smaller (Steffens 1997-C18 : 1n-9 : 43.40%, MUFA sum : 54.94%, Fajmonová et al 2003 45.97 ± 0.26%, MUFA sum : 58.97 ± 0.25%).…”

“…More recent studies (Komprda et al 2005) prefer to evaluate arachidonic acid (C20 : 4n-6), which is a linoleic acid metabolite. eicosanoids (prostaglandins, thrombaxanes and leucotrienes), which are produced from arachidonic acid (C20 : 4n-6), negatively influence human health because they increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and immune system diseases (proinflammatory and proaggregatory properties).…”

The effect of dietary linseed oils with different fatty acid pattern on the content of fatty acids in chicken meat

“…The extract was used for FA determinations by gas chromatography. The method of extraction and FA determination was described in detail in the paper by Komprda et al (2005).…”