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Effect of triacylglycerol structure on absorption and metabolism of isotope-labeled palmitic and linoleic acids by humans

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Lipids

Abstract

The effect of dietary TAG structure and fatty acid acyl TAG position on palmitic and linoleic acid metabolism was investigated in four middle-aged male subjects. The study design consisted of feeding diets containing 61 g/d of native lard (NL) or randomized lard (RL) for 28 d. Subjects then received an oral dose of either 1,3-tetradeuteriopalmitoyl-2-dideuteriolinoleoyl-rac-glycerol or a mixture of 1,3-dideuteriolinoleoyl-2-tetradeuteriopalmitoyl-rac-glycerol and 1,3-hexadeuteriopalmitoyl-2-tetradeuteriolinoleoyl-rac-glycerol. Methyl esters of plasma lipids isolated from blood samples drawn over a 2-d period were analyzed by GC-MS. Results showed that absorption of the 2H-fatty acids (2H-FA) was not influenced by TAG position. The 2H-FA at the 2-acyl TAG position were 85±4.6% retained after absorption. Substantial migration of 2H-16∶0 (31.2±8.6%) from the sn-2 TAG position to the sn-1,3 position and 2H-18∶2n−6 (52.8±6.4%) from the sn-1,3 position to the sn-2 position of chylomicron TAG occurred after initial absorption and indicates the presence of a previously unrecognized isomerization mechanism. Incorporation and turnover of the 2H-FA in chylomicron TAG, plasma TAG, and plasma cholesterol esters were not influenced by TAG acyl position. Accretion of 2H-16∶0 from the sn-2 TAG position in 1-acylphosphatidylcholine was 1.7 times higher than 2H-16∶0 from the sn-1,3 TAG positions. Acyl TAG position did not influence 2H-18∶2n−6 incorporation in PC. The concentration of 2H-18∶2n−6-derived 2H-20∶4n−6 in plasma PC from subjects fed, the RL diet was 1.5 times higher than for subjects fed the NL diet, and this result suggests that diets containing 16∶0 located at the sn-2 TAG position may inhibit 20∶4n−6 synthesis. The overall conclusion is that selective rearrangement of chylomicron TAG structures diminishes but does not totally eliminate the metabolic and physiological effects of dietary TAG structure.

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Abbreviations

AUC:

area-under-curve

CE:

cholesterol ester

FA:

fatty acids

2H-FA:

deuterated FA

L2P4L2:

1,3-dideuteriolinoleoyl-2-tetradeuteriopalmitoyl-rac-glycerol

NL:

native lard

P4L2P4:

1,3-tetradeuteriopalmitoyl-2-dideuteriolinoleoyl-rac-glycerol

P6L4P6:

1,3-hexadeuteriopalmitoyl-2-tetradeuteriolinoleoyl-rac-glycerol

PC:

phosphatidylcholine

PC-1:

1-acyl PC

PC-2:

2-acyl PC

RL:

randomized lard

TAG:

triacylglycerol

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ARS, NCAUR, USDA, 61604, Peoria, Illinois

    E. A. Emken, R. O. Adlof & S. M. Duval

  2. Illinois State University, 61790, Normal, Illinois

    J. M. Shane & P. M. Walker

  3. Pelikan Technologies, Inc., 94303, Palo Alto, California

    C. Becker

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  1. E. A. Emken
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  2. R. O. Adlof
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  3. S. M. Duval
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  6. C. Becker
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Correspondence to E. A. Emken.

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Emken, E.A., Adlof, R.O., Duval, S.M. et al. Effect of triacylglycerol structure on absorption and metabolism of isotope-labeled palmitic and linoleic acids by humans. Lipids 39, 1–9 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-004-1194-6

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