Impact of botanical oils on polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism and leukotriene generation in mild asthmatics

Jonathan P Arm,Joshua A Boyce,Vaishali Patil,Muhammad Zahid,Floyd H Chilton,Priscilla Ivester,Susan Sergeant,Usha Govindarajulu,Lin Wang,Kelly L Weaver,Elliot Israel,Heng Chhay

doi:10.1186/1476-511x-12-141

Abstract

BackgroundDietary supplementation with botanical oils that contain n-6 and n-3 eighteen carbon chain (18C)-PUFA such as γ linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6), stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4n-3) and α linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) have been shown to impact PUFA metabolism, alter inflammatory processes including arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism and improve inflammatory disorders.MethodsThe diet of mild asthmatics patients was supplemented for three weeks with varying doses of two botanical seed oils (borage oil [Borago officinalis, BO] and echium seed oil [Echium plantagineum; EO]) that contain SDA, ALA and GLA. A three week wash out period followed. The impact of these dietary manipulations was evaluated for several biochemical endpoints, including in vivo PUFA metabolism and ex vivo leukotriene generation from stimulated leukocytes.ResultsSupplementation with several EO/BO combinations increased circulating 20–22 carbon (20–22C) PUFAs, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and dihommo-gammalinolenic acid (DGLA), which have been shown to inhibit AA metabolism and inflammation without impacting circulating AA levels. BO/EO combinations also inhibited ex vivo leukotriene generation with some combinations attenuating cysteinyl leukotriene generation in stimulated basophils by >50% and in stimulated neutrophils by >35%.ConclusionsThis study shows that dietary supplementation with BO/EO alters 20–22C PUFA levels and attenuates leukotriene production in a manner consistent with a reduction in inflammation.

Highlights

Dietary supplementation with botanical oils that contain n-6 and n-3 eighteen carbon chain (18C)-PUFA such as γ linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6), stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4n-3) and α linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) have been shown to impact PUFA metabolism, alter inflammatory processes including arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism and improve inflammatory disorders
Plasma fatty acids The effects of dietary supplementation with Borago officinalis (BO) and Echium oil (EO) on n-3 and n-6 PUFA levels are provided in Figure 2 and Figure 3, respectively
The increase in plasma SDA varied between groups and was most marked in Group 1 in which subjects consumed the largest dose of echium oil (p = 0.004 for differences among groups across time)

Summary

Introduction

Dietary supplementation with botanical oils that contain n-6 and n-3 eighteen carbon chain (18C)-PUFA such as γ linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6), stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4n-3) and α linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) have been shown to impact PUFA metabolism, alter inflammatory processes including arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism and improve inflammatory disorders. Arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism via the 5-lipoxygenease pathway to form leukotrienes has been demonstrated to be important to the pathology of asthma. In addition to pharmacologic modifiers, supplementation of diets with fatty acid-based marine and botanical oil supplements have been demonstrated to reduce the severity of several inflammatory disorders including asthma. Dietary supplementation with fish oils that contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5, n-3) inhibits leukotriene generation, likely through substrate competition of EPA with AA for the action of cytosolic phospholipase A2 and 5-lipoxygenase [6]. PGE1 has been illustrated to have anti-inflammatory effect in both animals and humans [7,8,9]

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