Docosahexaenoic acid‐enriched phospholipids exhibit superior effects on obesity‐related metabolic disorders to egg yolk phospholipids and soybean phospholipids in mice

Abstract

Bioactive phospholipids (PL) from different origins varied greatly in the chemical constitutions, especially the fatty acid compositions, which might influence its physiological activities in turn. In the study, egg yolk phospholipids (EGG‐PL), soybean phospholipids (SOY‐PL), and marine docosahexaenoic acid‐enriched phospholipids (DHA‐PL) were administered to high fat (HF) diet‐induced obese C57BL/6J mice for 7 weeks to compare their effects on obesity‐related metabolic disorders. EGG‐PL, SOY‐PL, and DHA‐PL significantly decreased epididymal adipose tissue weights, reduced blood pressures and lowered hepatic TG levels. Only DHA‐PL efficiently decreased perirenal adipose tissue weights, and reduced serum glucose, insulin, IL‐6 and TG levels. These three phospholipids significantly decreased delta‐9 desaturation indices, the ratio of oleic acid versus stearic acid, and reduced the enzyme activities and gene expressions of FAS in the liver, while DHA‐PL also markedly reduced mRNA levels of SREBP‐1c and SCD‐1. Hepatic total catalase and peroxisomal β‐oxidation activities were significantly increased after DHA‐PL supplementation. These data indicated that the biological effects of PL with different fatty acid compositions were not completely equivalent and DHA‐PL, rich in n‐3 PUFA, was more efficient in ameliorating obesity‐related metabolic disorders, especially the lipid metabolism, attributing to the better inhibition of SREBP‐1c mediated lipogenesis and the elevation of hepatic lipolysis.Practical applications: This research gives the public the guidance of the dietary intake of bioactive phospholipids from the perspective of nutrition and it supplies informational support for the development of functional foods containing DHA‐PL participating to the prevention of chronic metabolic diseases in humans. In another aspect, this research also provides an important direction for the development and utilization of marine aquatic raw materials since these materials are the best sources of n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid enriched‐phospholipids.Dietary egg yolk phospholipids, soybean phospholipids, and marine docosahexaenoic acid‐enriched phospholipids (DHA‐PL) could efficiently improve obesity‐related metabolic disorders in mice. Notably, DHA‐PL, rich in n‐3 PUFA, exhibited the best ameliorative effects, especially on the lipid metabolism, which could be attributed to the better inhibition of SREBP‐1c mediated lipogenesis and the elevation of hepatic lipolysis. Such findings would be useful in the development of functional foods containing DHA‐PL participating to prevent chronic metabolic disease in humans.