Bioavailability and metabolism of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in pigs and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid-enriched pork: A review

Abstract

Omega (ω)-3 fatty acids are important in mitigating the risk for cardiovascular diseases and may have long-term beneficial effects on the development of infants, immune system, and bone health, the prevention and mitigation of cancer and various mental illnesses, and others in humans. Unfortunately, the consumption of ω-3 fatty acids is inadequate in people, especially in the populations of most of the Western industrialized countries. Common foods such as meat products contain insufficient amount of ω-3 fatty acids, and pork is no exception. Pork has been the most widely consumed meat in the world, and it accounted for slightly more than 40% of the world meat consumption in 2018. Enriching pork with ω-3 fatty acids may be an effective way to increase the ω-3 fatty acid intake and may improve the ω-6 to ω-3 fatty acid ratio or ω-3 index in health-conscious consumers. Several plant oilseeds are high in α-linolenic acid, and supplementation of pig diets with oilseeds can generally enhance the content of ω-3 fatty acids, such as α-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, in the tissues and organs of pigs. Unfortunately, the conversion of α-linolenic acid to docosahexaenoic acid seems to be inefficient in pigs because its pathway is tightly regulated in mammals, and further research will be necessary to overcome such a challenge. Nevertheless, pork can be enriched with ω-3 fatty acids by supplementation of pig diets with some plant oil seeds, such as flaxseed, without adverse effects on the quality or organoleptic characteristics of pork. Beneficial effects of ω-3 fatty acids on human health have been well documented over the years. Therefore, it is possible that the production of ω-3 FA-enriched pork may have a positive impact on the health and well-being of human beings. In this review, the focus was placed on the bioavailability and metabolism of omega-3 fatty acids and the efficiency of different dietary sources of ω-3 fatty acids in the production of ω-3 fatty acid-enriched pork.