Effect of Supplementation with Docosahexaenoic Acid Ethyl Ester and sn-2 Docosahexaenyl Monoacylglyceride on Plasma and Erythrocyte Fatty Acids in Rats

Vol. 49, No. 1, 2005

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Original Paper

Effect of Supplementation with Docosahexaenoic Acid Ethyl Ester and sn-2 Docosahexaenyl Monoacylglyceride on Plasma and Erythrocyte Fatty Acids in Rats
Alfonso Valenzuela^{a, b}, Viviana Valenzuela^a, Julio Sanhueza^b, Susana Nieto^b

^aUnidad de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes,
^bLaboratorio de Lípidos y Antioxidantes, INTA, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile

Address of Corresponding Author

Ann Nutr Metab 2005;49:49-53 (DOI: 10.1159/000084177)

Key Words

Docosahexaenoic acid bioavailability
Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation
Plasma fatty acid composition
Erythrocyte fatty acid composition

Abstract

Background/Aims: Docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6, DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid required for the normal development of the mammalian nervous and visual system. DHA is provided by the mother during pregnancy and lactating period. Mother's DHA supplementation during pregnancy, and even before pregnancy, has been suggested. DHA can be provided by marine oils, egg's yolk phospholipids, single cell algae oils, the pure fatty acid, or by the ethyl ester derivative (DHA-EE). Another way to provide DHA can be by sn-2 docosahexaenyl monoacylglyceride (DHA-MG), obtained by the treatment of fish oil with stereospecific lipases. sn-2 Fatty acid monoacylglycerides can be more easily absorbed at the intestine than other fatty acid derivatives. Methods: Female rats fed with a synthetic, which provided essentially no DHA, received a 40-day supplementation of either DHA-EE or DHA-MG. Plasma and erythrocyte fatty acid composition were assessed by gas chromatography at day 0 and 40 of supplementation. Results: DHA-EE increased plasma and erythrocyte DHA by 15 and 11.9%, respectively, with no modification of arachidonic acid (AA) content. DHA-MG supplementation increased plasma and erythrocyte DHA by 24 and 23.8%, respectively, but reduced AA by 5.5 and 3%, respectively. Conclusions: We conclude that in the rat, DHA-MG supplementation allows a higher plasma and erythrocyte DHA content than DHA-EE with minor modification of AA content.

Author Contacts

Alfonso Valenzuela
Laboratorio de Lípidos y Antioxidantes, INTA
Universidad de Chile, Casilla 138-11
Santiago (Chile)
Fax +56 2 2214030, E-Mail avalenzu@inta.cl

Article Information

Received: July 9, 2003
Accepted: March 22, 2004
Published online: February 25, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 1, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 21

Medline Abstract (ID 15735367)

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