Effects of diets containing fish oils or fish oil concentrates with high cetoleic acid content on the circulating cholesterol concentration in rodents. A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Fish intake is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, whereas supplementation with n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) has little effect on the cholesterol concentration. We therefore investigated if cetoleic acid (CA), a long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid (LC-MUFA) found especially in pelagic fish species, could lower the circulating total cholesterol (TC) concentration in rodents. A systematic literature search was performed using the databases PubMed, Web of Science and Embase, structured around the population (rodents), intervention (CA-rich fish oils or concentrates), comparator (diets not containing CA) and the primary outcome (circulating TC). Articles were assessed for risk of bias using the SYRCLE’s tool. A meta-analysis was conducted in Review Manager v. 5.4.1 (the Cochrane Collaboration) to determine the effectiveness of consuming diets containing CA-rich fish oils or concentrates on the circulating TC concentration. Twelve articles were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis, with data from 288 rodents. Consumption of CA-rich fish oils and concentrates resulted in a significantly lower circulating TC concentration relative to comparator groups (mean difference -0.65 mmol/l, 95% confidence interval -0.93, -0.37, P < 0.00001), with high statistical heterogeneity (I2 = 87%). The risk of bias is unclear since few of the entries in the SYRCLE’s tool were addressed. To conclude, intake of CA-rich fish oils and concentrates prevents high cholesterol concentration in rodents, and should be further investigated as functional dietary ingredients or supplements to reduce the risk for developing cardiovascular disease in humans.