Phospholipid PUFA: a better indicator for assessing health risks

Abstract

Long chain (LC) PUFA are major components of cell membrane phospholipids (PL) serving as precursors for bioactive lipid derivatives. Fatty acids (FA) are routinely analyzed in biological samples to assess its composition. In human studies, serum or plasma is often used because of their easy procurement. The blood lipid pool is a mixture of triglycerides (TG), PL, cholesterol and its esters, and other components. Here, we report findings in serum FA analysis after fractionation of polar and neutral lipids by SPE. LC PUFA were found concentrated in the polar fraction compared to neutral and total lipid fractions. When correlated with clinical data, e.g., systolic BP and cholesterol, a greater number of significant correlations were found for FA in polar compared to total or neutral fractions. We showed that the polar lipid is a more stable reflection of LC PUFA status compared to the other fractions because the latter are diluted by non‐essential FA. The relative amounts of LC PUFA in total and neutral fractions reflect the contribution of TG in blood that varies with age and physiologic state. Our data indicate that LC PUFA in the polar faction are superior indicators of health status and disease risk that could be applied in establishing meaningful links between PUFA status and biomarkers of disease and health outcomes. (Supported by NIH fund DK084403 & the National Kidney Foundation)