Abstract
Enrichment of tissues with ≥20-carbon n-3 PUFA like EPA is associated with positive cardiovascular outcomes. Stearidonic acid (SDA; 18 : 4n-3) and α-linolenic acid (ALA; 18 : 3n-3) are plant-derived dietary n-3 PUFA; however, direct comparisons of their impact on tissue n-3 PUFA content are lacking. Ahiflower(®) oil extracted from Buglossoides arvensis seeds is the richest known non-genetically modified source of dietary SDA. To investigate the safety and efficacy of dietary Ahiflower oil, a parallel-group, randomised, double-blind, comparator-controlled phase I clinical trial was performed. Diets of healthy subjects (n 40) were supplemented for 28d with 9·1g/d of Ahiflower (46% ALA, 20% SDA) or flax seed oil (59% ALA). Blood and urine chemistries, blood lipid profiles, hepatic and renal function tests and haematology were measured as safety parameters. The fatty acid composition of fasting plasma, erythrocytes, polymorphonuclear cells and mononuclear cells were measured at baseline and after 14 and 28d of supplementation. No clinically significant changes in safety parameters were measured in either group. Tissue ALA and EPA content increased in both groups compared with baseline, but EPA accrual in plasma and in all cell types was greater in the Ahiflower group (time×treatment interactions, P≤0·01). Plasma and mononuclear cell eicosatetraenoic acid (20 : 4n-3) and docosapentaenoic acid (22 : 5n-3) content also increased significantly in the Ahiflower group compared with the flax group. In conclusion, the consumption of Ahiflower oil is safe and is more effective for the enrichment of tissues with 20- and 22-carbon n-3 PUFA than flax seed oil.
Highlights
Enrichment of tissues with ≥20-carbon n-3 PUFA like EPA is associated with positive cardiovascular outcomes
In the Ahiflower group, two subjects withdrew from the study; one withdrawal was unrelated to consumption of the dietary oil, whereas the second subject withdrew from the study after craving fatty foods and experiencing acne and insomnia
After 28 d, the dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA) content decreased in plasma, erythrocytes and mononuclear cells and remained unchanged in Polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) following supplementation with flax oil, possibly because of competition from ALA for incorporation in tissue phospholipids in the absence of supplementation with dietary γ-linolenic acid (GLA) in that group. This trial is the first documented study in which human subjects consumed Ahiflower oil, an oil extracted from the seeds of B. arvensis
Summary
Enrichment of tissues with ≥20-carbon n-3 PUFA like EPA is associated with positive cardiovascular outcomes. Stearidonic acid (SDA; 18 : 4n-3) and α-linolenic acid (ALA; 18 : 3n-3) are plant-derived dietary n-3 PUFA; direct comparisons of their impact on tissue n-3 PUFA content are lacking. The consumption of Ahiflower oil is safe and is more effective for the enrichment of tissues with 20- and 22-carbon n-3 PUFA than flax seed oil. The other common dietary n-3 PUFA are the longer-chain and more unsaturated PUFA that are usually associated with fish and fish oils These fatty acids include the 20-carbon EPA (20 : 5n-3) and the 22-carbon docosapentaenoic acid (DPA; 22 : 5n-3) and Abbreviations: AE, adverse event; ALA, α-linolenic acid; AR, adverse reaction; DPA, docosapentaenoic acid; DGLA, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid; ETA, eicosatetraenoic acid; FAME, fatty acid methyl esters; GLA, γ-linolenic acid; HBSS, Hanks’ balanced salt solution; PMN, polymorphonuclear cells; SDA, stearidonic acid. A number of plants produce seed oils that are enriched with ALA such as flax (approximately 50 % ALA), soya (7 % ALA)
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