Fish Oil Increases the Duodenal Flow of Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and trans-11 18:1 and Decreases 18:0 in Steers via Changes in the Rumen Bacterial Community

Abstract There is limited knowledge about the metabolism and function of n-3 very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 VLC-PUFAs) with chain lengths ≥24. They are known to be produced endogenously in certain tissues from eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and not considered to originate directly from dietary sources. The aim of this study was to investigate whether n-3 VLC-PUFAs from dietary sources are bio-available and deposited in tissues of rat, fish and mouse. Rats were fed diets supplemented with a natural fish oil as source of low dietary levels of n-3 VLC-PUFAs, while Atlantic salmon and mice were fed higher dietary levels of n-3 VLC-PUFAs from a fish oil concentrate. In all experiments, n-3 VLC-PUFA incorporation in organs was investigated. We found that natural fish oil, due to its high EPA content, to a limited extent increased endogenous production of n-3 VLC-PUFAs in brain and eye of mice with neglectable amounts of n-3 VLC-PUFA originating from diet. When higher dietary levels were given in the form of concentrate, these fatty acids were bio-available and deposited in both phospholipids (PL) and triacylglycerol (TAG) fractions of all tissues studied, including skin, eye, brain, testis, liver and heart, and their distribution appeared to be tissue-dependent, but not species-specific. When dietary EPA and DHA were balanced and n-3 VLC-PUFA increased, the major n-3 VLC-PUFAs from the concentrate increased significantly in the organs studied, showing that these fatty acids can be provided through diet and thereby provide a tool for functional studies of these VLC-PUFAs.

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Effect of dietary source of very long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on their concentrations in the edible tissues of the chicken

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s1752756200019190 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 2007 ◽

pp. 16-16

Author(s):

R.A. Gibbs ◽

C. Rymer ◽

D.I. Givens

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽

Fish Oil ◽

Oxidative Stability ◽

Chicken Meat ◽

Edible Tissues ◽

Broiler Diet ◽

Alternative Sources ◽

Different Sources ◽

Long Chain

The benefits to human health from consuming the very long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC n-3 PUFA) 20:5 (EPA) and 22:6 (DHA) are well known. In the human diet, oil-rich fish is a key source of VLC n-3 PUFA but fish consumption is so low that VLC n-3 PUFA intake is well below the minimum recommended. Other vehicles for increasing dietary supply have been explored and chicken meat is a potentially important contributor to human intakes if it is enriched with VLC n-3 PUFA, as it is responsive to dietary manipulation and is widely consumed. Enrichment of chicken meat can be achieved by supplementing the diets of growing birds with fish oil. However, reliance upon fish oil for this purpose is potentially unsustainable and the meat that is produced is more susceptible to constraints associated with its oxidative stability and organoleptic properties. Alternative sources of these fatty acids include marine algae (the primary producers of VLC n-3 PUFA) and fish oil encapsulated in a gelatin capsule. Both of these alternatives may increase the VLC n-3 PUFA content of the meat and also enhance its oxidative stability compared with meat that has been enriched by the inclusion of fish oil in the broiler diet. The objective of this study was to compare different sources of VLC n-3 PUFA in the broiler diet in relation to their effects on EPA and DHA concentration of the white and dark meat of the chicken.

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