Positional distribution assessment of essential fatty acids in several fats and oils including plant, fish, and microbial sources and subcutaneous fat of Galician horse

Abstract

AbstractIn this work, several oils and PUFA‐producing species have been analyzed to know the positional distribution of fatty acids within the triacylgycerol structure. Positional distribution was determined in terrestrial oils by means of enzymatic hydrolysis, while 13C‐NMR was used for marine and processed oils, which contain long‐chain PUFA. In addition to several already known sources, other new ones have been characterized; i.e., α‐linolenic acid was high in the subcutaneous fat of Galician horse (34.5% of total FAs in sn‐2); γ‐linolenic acid in Echium gentianoides and Symphytum caucasicum (47.7 and 40.1% of total FAs in sn‐2, respectively); stearidonic acid in E. plantagineum (20.8% of total FAs in sn‐2); eicosapentaenoic acid in cod liver oil (13.7% of total FAs in sn‐2); docosahexaenoic acid in salmon, cod liver, hake roe, DHASCO© and MARINOL© oils (23.0, 20.9, 19.7, 47.0 and 55.9% of total FAs in sn‐2, respectively); and arachidonic acid in ARASCO© oil (53.0% of total FAs in sn‐2). Bioavailability of some valuable PUFA has been shown to be high in some of the studied samples compared to commonly consumed oils, according to their triacylglycerol positional distribution values.Practical applications: The positional distribution of PUFAs on the glycerol backbone of triacylglycerols is crucial for their bioavailability, since PUFA esterified at sn‐2 position are better absorbed than those located at sn‐1,3 positions. In this work, we have assessed the positional distribution of essential fatty acids in several fats and oils, both obtained from traditional sources as well as from edible species not yet prospected. Some of them might be exploited to be used as dietary PUFA sources.The positional distribution (PD) of essential fatty acids (EFAs) within the triacylglycerol structure determines their bioavailability, since EFAs esterified at sn‐2 position are better absorbed than those located at sn‐1,3 positions. In this work, the PD of EFAs in several fats and oils, obtained from traditional sources as well as from edible species not yet prospected, has been assessed. Bioavailability of valuable EFAs has been shown to be high in some of the newly studied oils compared to commonly consumed oils, as their triacylglycerol PD indicates.