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Comparative bioavailability of dietary α-linolenic and docosahexaenoic acids in the growing rat

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Lipids

Abstract

Animal and human studies have indicated that developing mammals fed only α-linolenic acid (18∶3n−3) have lower docosahexaenoic acid (22∶6n−3) content in brain and tissue phospholipids when compared with mammals fed 18∶3n−3 plus 22∶6n−3. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that low bioavailability of dietary 18∶−3 to be converted to 22∶6n−3 could partly explain this difference in fatty acid accretion. For that purpose, we determined the partitioning of dietary 18∶3n−3 and 22∶6n−3 between total n−3 fatty acid body accumulation, excretion, and disappearance (difference between the intake and the sum of total n−3 fatty acids accumulated and excreted). This was assessed using the quantitative method of whole-body fatty acid balance in growing rats fed the same amount of a 5% fat diet supplying either 18∶3n−3 or 22∶6n−3 at a level of 0.45% of dietary energy (i.e., 200 mg/100 g diet). We found that 58.9% of the total amount of 18∶3n−3 ingested disappeared, 0.4% was excreted in feces, 21.2% accumulated as 18∶3n−3 (50% in total fats and 46% in the carcass-skin compartment), and 17.2% accumulated as long-chain derivatives (14% as 22∶6n−3 and 3.2% as 20∶5n−3+22∶5n−3). Similar results were obtained from the docosahexaenoate balance (as % of the total amount ingested): disappearance, 64.5%; excretion, 0.5%; total accumulation, 35% with 30.1% as 22∶6n−3. Thus, rats fed docosahexaenoate accumulated a twofold higher amount of 22∶6n−3, which was mainly deposited in the carcass-skin compartment (68%). Similar proportions of disappearance of dietary 18∶−3 and 22∶6n−3 lead us to speculate that these two n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were β-oxidized in the same amount.

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Abbreviations

ALA:

α-linolenic acid 18∶3n−3

ANOVA:

analysis of variance

DHA:

docosahexaenoic acid 22∶6n−3

FAME:

fatty acid methyl ester

LC:

long-chain

PUFA:

polyunsaturated fatty acid

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Blédina-sa, Groupe Danone, Villefranche-sur-Saône, France

    Christian Latge

  2. Laboratoire de Nutrition et Sécurité Alimentaire, INRA, CRJ, 78352, Jouy-en-Josas Cedex, France

    Carine Poumès-Ballihaut, Bénédicte Langelier, Françoise Houlier, Jean-Marc Alessandri, Georges Durand & Philippe Guesnet

Authors
  1. Carine Poumès-Ballihaut
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  2. Bénédicte Langelier
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  3. Françoise Houlier
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  4. Jean-Marc Alessandri
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  5. Georges Durand
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  6. Christian Latge
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  7. Philippe Guesnet
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Correspondence to Carine Poumès-Ballihaut.

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Poumès-Ballihaut, C., Langelier, B., Houlier, F. et al. Comparative bioavailability of dietary α-linolenic and docosahexaenoic acids in the growing rat. Lipids 36, 793–800 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-001-0786-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-001-0786-5

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