Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparison of growth and fatty acid metabolism in rats fed diets containing equal levels of γ-linolenic acid from high γ-linolenic acid canola oil or borage oil

  • Published:
Lipids

Abstract

We have utilized transgenic technology to develop a new source of γ-linolenic acid (GLA) using the canola plant as a host. The aim of the present study was to compare the growth and fatty acid metabolism in rats fed equal amounts of GLA obtained from the transgenic canola plant relative to GLA from the borage plant. Young male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=10/group) were randomized and fed a purified AIN93G diet (10% lipid by weight) containing either a mixture of high GLA canola oil (HGCO) and corn oil or a control diet containing borage oil (BO) for 6 wk. GLA accounted for 23% of the triglyceride fatty acids in both diets. Growth and diet consumption were monitored every 2–3 d throughout the study. At study termination, the fatty acid composition of the liver and plasma phospholipids was analyzed by gas chromatography. The growth and diet consumption of the HGCO group were similar to the BO group. There were no adverse effects of either diet on the general health or appearance of the rats, or on the morphology of the major organs. There was no significant difference between the diet groups for total percentage of n−6 polyunsaturated fatty acids present in either the total or individual phospholipid fractions of liver or plasma. The relative percentage of GLA and its main metabolite, arachidonic acid, in each phospholipid fraction of liver or plasma were also similar between groups. The percentage of 18∶2n−6 in liver phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol/serine was higher (P<0.05) and 22∶5n−6 was lower in the HGCO group than the BO group. This finding could be attributed to the higher 18∶3n−3 content in the HGCO diet than the BO diet. Results from this long-term feeding study of rats show for the first time that a diet containing transgenically modified canola oil was well-tolerated, and had similar biological effects, i.e., growth characteristics and hepatic metabolism of n−6 fatty acids, as a diet containing borage oil.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ANOVA:

analysis of variance

BO:

borage oil

DHGLA:

dihomo-γ-linolenic acid

GLA:

γ-linolenic acid

GLC:

gas-liquid chromatography

15-HETrE:

15-hydroxy-eicosatrienoic acid

HGCO:

high GLA canola oil

PC:

phosphatidylcholine

PE:

phosphatidylethanolamine

PGE1 :

prostaglandin E1

Pl/PS:

phosphatidylinositol/serine

PUFA:

polyunsaturated fatty acids

TLC:

thin-layer chromatography

References

  1. Brenner, R.R. (1981) Nutritional and Hormonal Factors Influencing Desaturation of Essential Fatty Acids, Prog. Lipid Res. 20:41–48.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Das, U.N., Horrobin, D.F., Begin, M.E., Huang, Y-S., Cunnane, S.C., Manku, M.S., and Nassar, B.A. (1988) Clinical Significance of Essential Fatty Acids, Nutrition 4, 337–341.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ziboh, V.A., and Fletcher, M.P. (1992) Dose-Response Effects of Dietary γ-Linolenic Acid-Enriched Oils on Human Polymorphonuclear-Neutrophil Biosynthesis of Leukotriene B4, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 55, 39–45.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Wu, D., and Meydani, S.N. (1996) γ-Linolenic Acid and Immune Function, in γ-Linolenic Acid: Metabolism and Its Roles in Nutrition and Medicine (Huang, Y.-S., and Mills, D.E., eds.) pp. 106–117, AOCS Press, Champaign.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Horrobin, D.F. (1992) Gamma-Linolenic Acid: An Intermediate in Essential Fatty Acid Metabolism with Potential as an Ethical Pharmaceutical and as a Food, Rev. Contemp. Pharmacother. 1, 1–45.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Leventhal, L.J., Boyce, E.G., and Zurier, R.B. (1993) Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis with γ-Linolenic Acid, Ann. Intern. Med. 119, 867–873.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Palombo, J.D., DeMichele, S.J., Boyce, P.J., Lydon, E.E., Liu, J.-W., Huang, Y.-S., Forse, R.A., Mizgerd, J.P., and Bistrian, B.R. (1999) Effect of Short-Term Enteral Feeding with Eicosapentaenoic and γ-Linolenic Acids on Alveolar Macrophage Eicosanoid Synthesis and Bactericidal Function in Rats, Crit. Care Med. 27, 1908–1915.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Mancuso, P., Whelan, J., DeMichele, S.J., Snider, C.C., Guszcza, J.A., Claycombe, K.J., Smith, G.T., Gregory, T.J., and Karlstad, M.D. (1997) Effects of Eicosapentaenoic and γ-Linolenic Acid on Lung Permeability and Alveolar Macrophage Eicosanoid Synthesis in Endotoxic Rats, Crit. Care Med. 25, 523–532.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Gadek, J.E., DeMichele, S.J., Karlstad, M.D., Pacht, E.R., Donahoe, M., Albertson, T.E., Van Hoozen, C., Wennberg, A.K., Nelson, J.L., and Noursalehi, M. (1999) Effect of Enteral Feeding with Eicosapentaenoic Acid, γ-Linolenic Acid, and Antioxidants in Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Crit. Care Med. 27, 1409–1420.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Huang, Y.S., Chaudhary, S., Thurmond, J.M., Bobik, E.G., Jr., Yuan, L., Chan, G.M., Kirchner, S.J., Mukerji, P., and Knutzon, D.S. (1999) Cloning of Delta 12- and Delta 6-Desaturases from Mortierella alpina and Recombinant Production of Gamma-Linolenic Acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lipids 34, 649–659.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Reeves, P.G., Nielsen, F.H., and Fahey, G.C., Jr. (1993) AIN-93 Purified Diets for Laboratory Rodents: Final Report of the American Institute of Nutrition ad hoc Writing Committee on the Reformulation of the AIN76A Rodent Diet, J. Nutr. 123, 1939–1951.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Palombo, J.D., DeMichele, S.J., Boyce, P.J., Noursalehi, M., Forse, R.A., and Bistrian, B.R. (1998) Metabolism of Dietary α-Linolenic Acid vs. Eicosapentaenoic Acid in Rat Immune Cell Phospholipids During Endotoxemia, Lipids 33, 1099–1105.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Palombo, J.D., DeMichele, S.J., Lydon, E.E., Gregory, T.J., Banks, P.L.C., Forse, R.A., and Bistrian, B.R. (1996) Rapid Modulation of Lung and Liver Macrophage Phospholipid Fatty Acids in Endotoxemic Rats by Continuous Enteral Feeding with n−3 and γ-Linolenic Acids, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 63, 208–219.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Raederstorff, D., and Moser, U. (1992) Borage and Primrose Oil Added to Standardized Diets Are Equivalent Sources for γ-Linolenic Acid in Rats, Lipids 27, 1018–23.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Holman, R.T. (1964) Nutritional and Metabolic Interrelationships Between Fatty Acids, Fed. Proc. 23, 1062–67.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Stubbs, C.D., and Smith, A.D. (1984) The Modification of Mammalian Membrane Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Composition in Relation to Membrane Fluidity and Function, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 779, 89–137.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Lands, W.E.M., Morris, A., and Libelt, B. (1990) Quantitative Effects of Dietary Polyunsaturated Fats on the Composition of Fatty Acids in Rat Tissues, Lipids 25, 505–516.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Sprecher, H., Luthria, D., Baykousheva, S.P., and Mohammed, B.S. (1996) Pathways for the Biosynthesis of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, in γ-Linolenic Acid: Metabolism and Its Roles in Nutrition and Medicine, AOCS Press, Champaign, pp. 14–21.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Surgery and Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, 21-27 Burlington Avenue, 503C, 02215, Boston, Massachuetts

    John D. Palombo & Bruce R. Bistrian

  2. Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Strategic Discovery R&D, 43219, Columbus, Ohio

    Stephen J. DeMichele, Jim-Wen Liu & Yung-Sheng Huang

Authors
  1. John D. Palombo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stephen J. DeMichele
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jim-Wen Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bruce R. Bistrian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yung-Sheng Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John D. Palombo.

About this article

Cite this article

Palombo, J.D., DeMichele, S.J., Liu, JW. et al. Comparison of growth and fatty acid metabolism in rats fed diets containing equal levels of γ-linolenic acid from high γ-linolenic acid canola oil or borage oil. Lipids 35, 975–981 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-000-0608-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-000-0608-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation