title: Dietary intake of n-3 PUFAs modifies the absorption, distribution and bioavailability of fatty acids in the mouse gastrointestinal tract.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially n-3 PUFAs, are important for human health. The intestinal tract, a location that is heavily colonized by microorganisms, is the main organ for absorbing fatty acids.
  
  
  METHODS
  The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of dietary n-3 and n-6 PUFAs on the distribution of different types of fatty acids and their bioavailability along the gut. Mice were fed for a week with experimental diets containing high n-3 or high n-6 fatty acid levels. Blood was collected at different time points, and after 7 days the mice were euthanized and their digestive tract was divided into 17 segments for fatty acids analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that supplementing n-3 fatty acids significantly changed the ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFAs, increased the bioavailability of n-3 PUFAs, and altered fatty acid distribution. In addition, in the n-3 diet group, the absorption of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) along the gut was found to be inhibited, which was confirmed by feeding the mice with a diet containing deuterium-labeled palmitic acid and stearic acid.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that a diet rich in n-3 PUFAs can significantly modify the distribution and bioavailability of fatty acids, and particularly, may block the absorption of SFAs in the mouse gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.|Synergistic Innovation Center for Food Safety and Nutrition, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shunhe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yunqi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.|Synergistic Innovation Center for Food Safety and Nutrition, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Haiqin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.|Synergistic Innovation Center for Food Safety and Nutrition, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.|Synergistic Innovation Center for Food Safety and Nutrition, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China. zhennangu@jiangnan.edu.cn.|Synergistic Innovation Center for Food Safety and Nutrition, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China. zhennangu@jiangnan.edu.cn.|Department of Cancer Biology and Biochemistry, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA. zhennangu@jiangnan.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhennan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.|Synergistic Innovation Center for Food Safety and Nutrition, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.|Department of Cancer Biology and Biochemistry, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Yong Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3
keywords: Absorption; Bioavailability; Distribution; Gut; SFA; n-3 PUFA