Increased EPA levels in serum phospholipids of humans after four weeks daily ingestion of one portion chicken fed linseed and rapeseed oil.
Since the amounts of arachidonic acid (AA) and EPA in food may have implications for human health, we investigated whether a small change in chicken feed influenced the blood lipid concentration in humans ingesting the chicken. Forty-six young healthy volunteers (age 20-29) were randomly allocated into two groups in a double-blind dietary intervention trial, involving ingestion of about 160 g chicken meat per day for 4 weeks. The ingested meat was either from chickens given a feed concentrate resembling the commercial chicken feed, containing 4% soybean oil (SO), or the meat was from chickens given a feed where the soybean oil had been replaced by 2% rapeseed oil plus 2% linseed oil (RLO).Serum total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol, triacylglycerols, serum phospholipid fatty acid concentration, blood pressure, body weight and C-reactive protein were determined at baseline and post-intervention. In subjects consuming chicken meat from the RLO group there was a significantly (p < 0.001) increased concentration of EPA in serum phospholipids, and a reduced ratio between AA and EPA. The participants that had a low% of EPA + DHA in serum phospholipids (less than 4.6%), all increased their% of EPA + DHA after the four week intervention period when consuming the RLO chicken. No significant response differences in cholesterol, triacylglycerol, C-reactive protein, body weight or blood pressure were observed between the groups. This trial demonstrates that a simple change in chicken feed can have beneficial effects on amount of EPA and the AA/EPA ratio in human serum phospholipids.
Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, 1432, Norway. anna.haug@umb.no
Anna
A
Haug
Nicole F
NF
Nyquist
Therese J
TJ
Mosti
Malin
M
Andersen
Arne T
AT
Høstmark
D000328:Adult; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000097:blood; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D005260:Female; D005504:Food Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008043:Linseed Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000074262:Rapeseed Oil; D055815:Young Adult
D005227:Fatty Acids; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D010743:Phospholipids; D010938:Plant Oils; D000074262:Rapeseed Oil; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D008043:Linseed Oil; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid