Artificial rearing with docosahexaenoic acid and n-6 docosapentaenoic acid alters rat tissue fatty acid composition.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) and n-6 docosapentaenoic acid (DPAn-6; 22:5n-6) are components of enriched animal feed and oil derived from Schizochytrium species microalgae. A one generation, artificial rearing model from day 2 after birth onward (AR) and a dam-reared control group (DAM) were used to examine DPAn-6 feeding on the fatty acid composition of various rat tissues at 15 weeks of age. Four AR diets were based on an n-3 fatty acid-deficient, 18:2n-6-based artificial milk with 22:6n-3 and/or 22:5n-6 added: AR-LA, AR-DHA, AR-DPAn-6, and AR-DHA+DPAn-6. The 22:6n-3 levels for the DAM, AR-DHA, and AR-DHA+DPAn-6 groups tended to be similar and higher than in the AR-LA and AR-DPAn-6 groups. The levels of 22:5n-6 tended to be higher only in the absence of dietary 22:6n-3. Adipose levels of 22:5n-6 was the only exception, as 22:5n-6 was significantly higher in AR-DHA+DPAn-6 than was observed in either the DAM or the AR-DHA group. There were no differences in 20:4n-6 levels within the tissues examined. In conclusion, 22:5n-6 replaces 22:6n-3 in the absence of 22:6n-3 only and does not appear to compete with 22:6n-3 in the presence of dietary 22:6n-3, suggesting that oils containing 22:5n-6 and 22:6n-3 may be a good dietary source of 22:6n-3.
Stark
Ken D
KD
Laboratory of Nutritional and Nutraceutical Research, Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Lim
Sun-Young
SY
Salem
Norman
N
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; C026219:docosapentaenoic acid