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A Whole Body, In Vivo, Fatty Acid Balance Method to Quantify PUFA Metabolism (Desaturation, Elongation and Beta-oxidation)

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Lipids

An Erratum to this article was published on 19 August 2008

Abstract

Currently there are several contrasting methods utilized for estimating elongation and desaturation of fatty acids and their general metabolism. The majority of these methods involve an ex vivo approach, requiring expensive and sophisticated equipment, likely to result in considerable variation in enzyme activity between and within species. In the present paper we introduce a further development of the whole-body fatty acid balance method for the estimation of the elongation and desaturation of fatty acids. This method though receiving considerable attention because of its simplicity and reliability has yet to be presented in detail. Theoretically, the whole-body fatty acid balance method can potentially be applied to any organism and requires little more than a gas chromatography unit for fatty acid analysis and elementary calculations. As such in this paper we attempt to spell out in detail the theoretical basis and the methods of application drawing specific examples. Using the present method it is possible to measure the fate of individual fatty acids towards desaturation, elongation and oxidation and calculate the elongase, Δ-6 desaturase and Δ-5 desaturase activities.

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Acknowledgements

Giovanni Turchini’s contribution to this study was made whilst holding a Post Doctoral Fellowship from the Australian Research Council and this support is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, PO Box 423, Warrnambool, VIC, 3280, Australia

    Giovanni M. Turchini & David S. Francis

  2. Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific, PO Box 1040, Kasetsart Post Office, Bangkok, 10903, Thailand

    Sena S. De Silva

Authors
  1. Giovanni M. Turchini
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  2. David S. Francis
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  3. Sena S. De Silva
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giovanni M. Turchini.

Additional information

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11745-008-3213-2

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Turchini, G.M., Francis, D.S. & De Silva, S.S. A Whole Body, In Vivo, Fatty Acid Balance Method to Quantify PUFA Metabolism (Desaturation, Elongation and Beta-oxidation). Lipids 42, 1065–1071 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-007-3105-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-007-3105-x

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