Different sources of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids affects apparent digestibility, tissue deposition, and tissue oxidative stability in growing female rats

Abstract

BackgroundNumerous health benefits associated with increased omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) consumption has lead to an increasing variety of available n-3 PUFA sources. However, sources differ in the type, amount, and structural form of the n-3 PUFAs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of different sources of ω-3 PUFAs on digestibility, tissue deposition, eicosanoid metabolism, and oxidative stability.MethodsFemale Sprague-Dawley rats (age 28 d) were randomly assigned (n = 10/group) to be fed a high fat 12% (wt) diet consisting of either corn oil (CO) or n-3 PUFA rich flaxseed (FO), krill (KO), menhaden (MO), salmon (SO) or tuna (TO) oil for 8 weeks. Rats were individually housed in metabolic cages to determine fatty acid digestibility. Diet and tissue fatty acid composition was analyzed by gas chromatography and lipid classes using thin layer chromatography. Eicosanoid metabolism was determined by measuring urinary metabolites of 2-series prostaglandins (PGs) and thromoboxanes (TXBs) using enzyme immunoassays. Oxidative stability was assessed by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) using colorimetric assays. Gene expression of antioxidant defense enzymes was determined by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).ResultsRats fed KO had significantly lower DHA digestibility and brain DHA incorporation than SO and TO-fed rats. Of the n-3 PUFA sources, rats fed SO and TO had the highest n-3 PUFAs digestibility and in turn, tissue accretion. Higher tissue n-3 LC-PUFAs had no significant effect on 2-series PG and TXB metabolites. Despite higher tissue n-3 LC-PUFA deposition, there was no increase in oxidation susceptibility indicated by no significant increase in TBARS or decrease in TAC and gene expression of antioxidant defense enzymes, in SO or TO-fed rats.ConclusionsOn the basis that the optimal n-3 PUFA sources should provide high digestibility and efficient tissue incorporation with the least tissue lipid peroxidation, TO and SO appeared to be the most beneficial of the n-3 PUFAs sources evaluated in this study.

A Krill Oil Supplemented Diet Suppresses Hepatic Steatosis in High-Fat Fed Rats

“…An increase in the liver levels of DHA, which has a structural role (whereas EPA is preferentially utilized for fatty acid oxidation or eicosanoid synthesis) [33] was also observed by Tou et al [34]. We can however exclude that these modifications were in some way responsible for the observed reduced transport activity of the mitochondrial CIC (Fig.…”

Omega-3 long chain fatty acid “bioavailability”: A review of evidence and methodological considerations

“…Hamazaki et al [25], Animal Study 1, compared TAG, PL, EE; Yang et al [26], Animal Study 2 -compared TAG, EE and methyl esters; Ikeda et al [27], Animal Study 3 -compared TAG, FFA and EE; Batetta et al [28], Animal Study 4 -compared fish oil and krill oil; Di Marzo et al [29], Animal Study 5 -compared fish oil and krill oil; Tou et al [30], Animal Study 6 -compared fish oil and krill oil;…”

“…Of these, three studies [28][29][30] compared the bioavailability of fish oil and krill oil in which Batetta et al [28] and Di Marzo et al [29] focused on the comparison of the production of endocannabinoids from fish oil and krill oil in Zucker rats.…”

Influence of lipid type on gastrointestinal fate of oil-in-water emulsions: In vitro digestion study

“…Indeed, in vivo studies have reported higher bioavailability of omega-3 fatty acids when delivered as krill oil rather than as fish oil, which was partly attributed to the fact that the polyunsaturated fatty acids were part of phospholipids in krill oil(Kohler, Sarkkinen, Tapola, Niskanen, & Bruheim, 2015;Schuchardt et al, 2011). Conversely, other in vivo studies have reported a higher bioavailability of polyunsaturated fats from fish oils than from krill oil(Tou, Altman, Gigliotti, Benedito, & Cordonier, 2011). Further research is required to better understand the behavior of krill oil within the GIT, and how this may be used to control lipid digestion and bioactive release.After passing through the small intestinal stage, all the emulsions contained relatively large particles as detected by both light scattering and confocal microscopy .…”