Supplementation of DHA‐Rich Microalgal Oil or Fish Oil During the Suckling Period in Mildly n‐3 Fatty Acid‐Deficient Rat Pups

Abstract

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), particularly arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are considered critical for the development of infants and are commonly supplemented in infant formulae. In this study, two common sources of n-3 LC-PUFA, fish oil (FO) and DHA-rich microalgal oil (DMO), were fed to rat pups of mildly n-3 PUFA-deficient dams to compare changes in LC-PUFA of tissue phospholipids. The milk from dams fed a n-3 PUFA-deficient diet contained less n-3 LC-PUFA than that of dams fed a control diet (AIN-93G). The pups' were given orally 1 mg/g weight of either FO or DMO for 17 days between the ages of 5 and 21 days, the pups were weaned, and sacrificed 1 week later for analysis of fatty acid compositions of brain, heart, kidney, spleen, and thymus phospholipids. Although both FO and DMO brought about a recovery in the tissue DHA levels compared to those of the control group (pups from AIN-93G-fed dams), DMO was more effective at restoring tissue LC-PUFA status because it was richer in DHA than FO. FO had a slightly lower PUFA level than that required to bring the LC-PUFA status completely to normal levels in this experiment, and EPA did not accumulate in tissues under the conditions tested here. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of ingesting either FO or DMO in the pre-weaning period for improving mild n-3 PUFA deficiency.

Maternal Fish Oil Supplementation Affects the Social Behavior, Brain Fatty Acid Profile, and Sickness Response of Piglets

“…This is in line with a study in growing pigs in which a diet enriched in ALA, the precursor of n-3 LC-PUFA, did not increase brain EPA proportions (57). This lack of accumulation of EPA in the brain may imply that EPA is preferentially metabolized to DHA in pigs, as also suggested in rats (58).…”

Fatty acid‐binding protein 3 controls contact hypersensitivity through regulating skin dermal Vγ4+ γ/δ T cell in a murine model

“…It is also noteworthy that the FA composition of the thymus has been shown to be rich in ω-6 PUFA , 63 to which FABP3 prefers to bind. We previously showed that FABP3 is involved in epigenetic regulation in B cells.…”

“…Our results revealed that Fabp3 −/− mice displayed a large number of Vγ4 + γ/δ T cells in the juvenile thymus. It is also noteworthy that the FA composition of the thymus has been shown to be rich in ω‐6 PUFA, 63 to which FABP3 prefers to bind. We previously showed that FABP3 is involved in epigenetic regulation in B cells 64 .…”

Natural Bioactive Compounds from Macroalgae and Microalgae for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: A Review

“…Hence, it stands to reason that consuming marine algae rich in PUFAs could possibly be just as beneficial as consuming fish oils or fatty fish in attaining the health-promoting effects. Indeed, although both fish oil and DHA-rich microalgal oil (DMO) supplementation restored the brain DHA levels to normal levels in mildly omega-3-deficient rat pups, DMO was marginally more effective in this regard due to its higher total omega-3 PUFA content (about 1.3-fold) than fish oil [ 174 ]. Balakrishnan et al [ 175 ] reported that oral supplementation of Isochrysis sp.…”