Matrix Extension with Fitness for Purpose and Stability Assessment of DHA and Additional Fatty Acids in Individual Whole Chicken Eggs

Colm Anthony Moran,Alexandros Yiannikouris,Cathy Cardinall,Gerald Patrick Dillon,Wendy Yuan,Walter Brandl

doi:10.4236/fns.2019.105038

Abstract

The consumption of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) is associated with several human health benefits. Most notable of these LC-PUFA is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA C22:6) whose inclusion is considered essential for optimum human health. Biofortification of common foods such as eggs with DHA has emerged as a specific approach to increase the intake of DHA in human populations. This can be achieved by supplementing poultry rations with feeds like microalgae or fish oil that are rich in DHA, which results in an increased uptake in the egg. Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) is the method of choice when analyzing food such as eggs for DHA and other fatty acids. For regulatory studies it is desirable to demonstrate that the method is specifically suitable for the analysis of DHA and fatty acids in eggs. The purpose of this paper is to further extend the scope of the AOAC 996.06 methodology examined in the paper by Dillon et al., and to demonstrate the fitness for purpose of the method by examining specific validation parameters. It is a further objective to investigate the stability of DHA and other fatty acids of short and long timepoints. A validation of the method for the determination of DHA and three other fatty acids in eggs is thus presented.

Highlights

An increased consumption of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in the human diet can be related to several health benefits including improved cognitive and cardiovascular function and immune health [1] [2] [3]
Limit of Detection (LOD) and Limit of Quantification (LOQ) To determine this method’s LOD and LOQ for C22:6 the blank egg matrix samples were analyzed in ten replicates
Considering that whole egg is frequently consumed, either as a stand-alone food item in the diet or in the formulation of a variety of food products, with the growing trend in omega-3 biofortification through the chicken’s diet, the establishment of an accurate quantification assay for the determination of the fatty acid composition is important for nutritionists and regulatory scientists

Summary

Introduction

An increased consumption of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in the human diet can be related to several health benefits including improved cognitive and cardiovascular function and immune health [1] [2] [3]. DHA intake for example, can be increased in household foods, such as chicken eggs, by supplementing poultry dietary rations with feeds like microalgae or fish oil which are rich in DHA [11] [12] [13] [14]. Whilst the methodology has been widely investigated, there is a need for the method to be thoroughly validated to demonstrate to fitness for purpose in analyzing eggs for regulatory studies, for example in the analysis of fatty acids profiles, assessing egg enrichment studies and gaining an understanding of the efficacy of feed ingredients for the purpose of enriching chicken eggs

Objectives

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Results

Conclusion