Flaxseed Oil Augments Plasma Levels of Omentin but not Chemerin and Thromboxane B2 in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: Preliminary Data from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

There is evidence that Omega-3 fatty acid attenuates the production of pro-inflammatory markers. This study sought to determine whether flaxseed oil supplementation reduces the production of selected adipocytokines and Thromboxane B2 involved in a pathogenesis coronary artery disease. In this clinical trial, 40 angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease patients were admitted to receive either flaxseed oil (n = 19) or placebo (n = 21) for ten consecutive weeks. The intervention group received 5 mL per day of flaxseed oil (containing 2.5 g of α-linolenic acid) emulsified in low (1.5%) cow milk while the placebo group received equivalent volume of the milk. The plasma levels of Omentin, Chemerin, and Thromboxane B2 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The participants were 55.25 ± 7.25 years old. The supplementation resulted in remarkable increase in plasma levels of Omentin (0.31 vs. 0.07 ng/L, P = 0.023). However, levels of Chemerin and Thromboxane B2 concentration remained unchanged following the intervention (–0.08 vs. 0.04 ng/L, P = 0.827 and –0.15 vs. –0.05 pg/mL, P = 0.167, respectively). The findings suggest that Flaxseed oil is useful as an adjunctive therapy for management of adipose tissue-derived pro-inflammatory markers. This also warrants further studies to explore the underlying mechanisms involved in the anti-inflammatory properties of the supplement.