Monoacylglycerol Form of Omega-3s Improves Its Bioavailability in Humans Compared to Other Forms

Abstract

Numerous benefits are attributed to omega-3 fatty acids (OM3) especially in cardiovascular health. However, bioavailability and clinical efficacy depend on numerous factors, including OM3 form, food matrix effects (especially the lipid content of the diet), and metabolic capacity. Here, we show in humans that a "pre-digested" OM3-sn-1(3)-monoacylglycerol lipid structure (OM3-MAG) has a significantly greater absorption at high therapeutic doses (2.9 g/day) than the most commonly OM3-ethyl ester (3.1 g/day) form (used for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia), and a comparable profile to other pre-digested OM3 free fatty acids (OM3-FFA) structure (3.2 g/day). Nutritional supplement doses of MAG resulted in similar increases in OM3 blood level, compared to OM3 triacylglycerols (OM3-TAG) supplements in obese subjects (1.2 g/day) under low fat diet, and in children with cystic fibrosis (1.0 g/day). These results suggest that both forms of pre-digested OM3-MAG and OM3-FFA are effectively absorbed and re-incorporated effectively into triacylglycerols inside the enterocytes, before being exported into the chylomicrons lipid transport system. The pre-digested OM3-MAG might provide a more effective therapy in severe cardiovascular conditions where high doses of OM3 are required and a low-fat diet is indicated, which limited digestive lipase activity.

Rice Bran Lipidome Identifies Novel Phospholipids, Glycolipids, and Oxylipins with Roles in Lipid Metabolism of Hypercholesterolemic Children

“…Monoacylglycerols can act as protectors against digestive actions, carrying omega 3 fatty acids and then modify their bioavailability Cuenoud et al. [ 44 ]…”

Docosahexaenoic acid monoglyceride induces apoptosis and autophagy in breast cancer cells via lipid peroxidation‐mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress

“…Although most dietary lipids in foods were constituted of TAGs, however, TAGs are required to be hydrolyzed into free fatty acids and sn‐2‐ MAG by lipolytic enzymes, mainly sn‐1,3 specific pancreatic lipases in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract in the digest process (Yen & Farese, 2003), whereas Monoacylglycerols (MAGs) are lipase independent and considered as being in a predigested form. Recent studies have found that MAG containing EPA/DHA exhibits a high degree of efficient absorption, especially under impaired absorption conditions compared to conventional dietary TAG (Caroline et al., 2018; Cuenoud et al., 2020). Therefore, n‐3 PUFA in the MAG predigested form may offer a clinical advantage to patients struggling with lipid malabsorption/maldigestion problems.…”

Lipid Fractions, Fatty Acid Profiles, and Bioactive Compounds of Lithospermum officinale L. Seeds

“…For instance, PUFA contained in MAG and DAG are highly bioavailable (Meynier and Genot, 2017). On this basis, GLA‐ and SDA‐based MAG may offer a clinical advantage to patients struggling with fat malabsorption/maldigestion problems, for instance, patients with cystic fibrosis (Cuenoud et al, 2020). On the other hand, n ‐3 PUFA are better protected against oxidation when they are included in polar lipids, while the bioavailability of n ‐3 PUFA is higher when included in the PL fraction than in that of the TAG (Jiménez Callejón et al, 2020).…”