title: Absorption and metabolism of conjugated alpha-linolenic acid given as free fatty acids or triacylglycerols in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids which have been extensively studied in the past two decades. However, conjugated octadecatrienoic acid such as cis-9,trans-11,cis-15 and cis-9,trans-13,cis-15, recently identified, have not been extensively investigated. This work presents bioavailability and tissue incorporation of a mixture of conjugated octadecatrienoic (CLnA) acids ingested as free fatty acids (FFA) and triacylglycerols (TAG).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Male Wistar rats were fed rumenic acid (RA: cis-9,trans-11 18:2) and a CLnA mixture (cis-9,trans-11,cis-15 18:3 and cis-9,trans-13,cis-15 18:3) as FFA and TAG for 8 days. RA and CLnA were both totally absorbed when given as FFA as well as TAG. Both isomers of CLnA as FFA or TAG were incorporated into neutral lipids. Metabolites up to 22:6 conjugated isomers were present in liver and plasma phospholipids of rats fed the CLnA diets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Finally, CLnA are as well absorbed as RA in vivo and their incorporation into tissues and bioconversion are similar when ingested as FFA or as TAG.
authors.affiliation: UMR INRA-ENESAD Flavic, 21065 Dijon, France. melanie.plourde.1@ulaval.ca
authors.forename: Mélanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plourde
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sergiel
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chardigny
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grégoire
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angers
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sébédio