Evaluation of the hepatic bioconversion of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in rats fed with oils from chia (Salvia hispanica) or rosa mosqueta (Rosa rubiginosa)

Abstract

The high dietary intake of n-6 fatty acids in relation to n-3 fatty acids generates health disorders, such as cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory diseases and other chronic diseases. The consumption of fish, which is rich in n-3 fatty acids, is low in Latin America and it is necessary to seek other alternatives, such as chia oil (CO) or rosa mosqueta oil (RMO), which are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the precursor of the n-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This study evaluates the hepatic bioconversion of ALA to EPA and DHA and the damage to the liver (histology and transaminase) in Sprague-Dawley rats fed different vegetable oils. Four experimental groups (n = 9 animals each group) were fed the following dietary supplements for 21 days: a) sunflower oil (SFO), b) RMO, c) CO d) olive oil with fish oil added (EPA and DHA) (OO/FO). RMO and CO increased the hepatic levels of ALA, EPA and DHA and decreased the n-6/n-3 ratio compared to SFO (p < 0.05) without changes in the parameters of liver damage. It is concluded that CO and RMO may be nutritional alternatives for providing ALA for its bioconversion to EPA and DHA.