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Effects of different medium-chain fatty acids on intestinal absorption of structured triacylglycerols

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Lipids

Abstract

To study the effect of the chain length of medium-chain fatty acids on the intestinal absorption of long-chain fatty acids, we examined the lymphatic transport of fat following administration of five purified structured triacylglycerols (STAG) containing different medium-chain fatty acids in the sn-1, 3 positions and long-chain fatty acids in the sn-2 position in a rat model. Significant amounts of medium-chain fatty acids were found in lymph samples after intragastric administration of 1,3-dioctanoyl-2-linoleyl-sn-glycerol (8∶0/18∶2/8∶0), 1,3-didecanoyl-2-linoleyl-sn-glycerol, and 1,3-didodecanoyl-2-linoleyl-sn-glycerol. The accumulated lymphatic transport of medium-chain fatty acids increased with increasing carbon chain length. The recoveries of caprylic acid (8∶0), capric acid (10∶0), and lauric acid (12∶0) were 7.3±0.9, 26.3±2.4, and 81.7±6.9%, respectively. No significant differences were observed for the maximal intestinal absorption of linoleic acid (18∶2n−6) when the chain length of medium-chain fatty acids at the primary positions was varied, and the absorption of 18∶2 and oleic acid (18∶1) from 8∶0/18∶2/8∶0 and 1,3-dioctanoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycerol was similar. We conclude that the chain length of the medium-chain fatty acids in the primary positions of STAG does not affect the maximal intestinal absorption of long-chain fatty acids in the sn-2 position in the applied rat model, whereas the distribution of fatty acids between the lymphatics and the portal vein reflects the chain length of the fatty acids.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

analysis of variance

GLC:

gas-liquid chromatography

HPLC:

high-performance liquid chromatography

LCT:

long-chain triacylglycerol

MCT:

medium-chain triacylglycerol

STAG:

structured triacylglycerol

8∶0/18∶2/8∶0:

1,3-dioctanoyl-2-linoleyl-sn-glycerol

10∶0/18∶2/10∶0:

1,3-didecanoyl-2-linoleyl-sn-glycerol

10∶0/18∶2/18∶2:

1,2(2,3)-dilinoleyl-(1)3-decanoyl-sn-glycerol

12∶0/18∶2/12∶0:

1,3-didodecanoyl-2-linoleyl-sn-glycerol

8∶0/18∶1/8∶0:

1,3-dioctanoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycerol

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Technical University of Denmark, Building 224, DK-2800, Lyngby, Denmark

    Huiling Mu & Carl-Erik Høy

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  1. Huiling Mu
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  2. Carl-Erik Høy
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Correspondence to Huiling Mu.

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Mu, H., Høy, CE. Effects of different medium-chain fatty acids on intestinal absorption of structured triacylglycerols. Lipids 35, 83–89 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-000-0498-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-000-0498-x

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