Rye polyphenols and the metabolism of n-3 fatty acids in rats: a dose dependent fatty fish-like effect

Fayçal Ounnas,Christine Demeilliers,Michel De Lorgeril,Furio Brighenti,Daniele Del Rio,Luca Calani,François Laporte,Patricia Salen,Pedro Mena

doi:10.1038/srep40162

Fayçal Ounnas, Christine Demeilliers + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep40162

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Journal: Scientific Reports	Publication Date: Jan 10, 2017
Citations: 15	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Université Grenoble Alpes, University of Parma

Abstract

As long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) of the n-3 series are critically important for human health, fish consumption has considerably increased in recent decades, resulting in overfishing to respond to the worldwide demand, to an extent that is not sustainable for consumers’ health, fisheries economy, and marine ecology. In a recent study, it has been shown that whole rye (WR) consumption improves blood and liver n-3 LCFA levels and gut microbiota composition in rats compared to refined rye. The present work demonstrates that specific colonic polyphenol metabolites may dose dependently stimulate the synthesis of n-3 LCFA, possibly through their microbial and hepatic metabolites in rats. The intake of plant n-3 alpha-linolenic acid and WR results in a sort of fatty fish-like effect, demonstrating that the n-3 LCFA levels in blood and tissues could be increased without eating marine foods, and therefore without promoting unsustainable overfishing, and without damaging marine ecology.

Highlights

As long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) of the n-3 series are critically important for human health, fish consumption has considerably increased in recent decades, resulting in overfishing to respond to the worldwide demand, to an extent that is not sustainable for consumers’ health, fisheries economy, and marine ecology
Because the synthesis of EPA and DHA is thought to be partly hormone-dependent[13,14,15], we expected that rye polyphenols with hormonal activity — in particular the phytoestrogenic metabolites of lignans — would represent the main factors, but this was not the case, as we found no association between urinary enterolactones and blood n-3 Long-chain fatty acids (LCFA)
This study confirms that certain polyphenols may stimulate the synthesis of n-3 LCFA, but demonstrates for the first time that this effect is linked to the transformation of specific polyphenols into their microbial and hepatic metabolites

Summary

Introduction

As long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) of the n-3 series are critically important for human health, fish consumption has considerably increased in recent decades, resulting in overfishing to respond to the worldwide demand, to an extent that is not sustainable for consumers’ health, fisheries economy, and marine ecology. The intake of plant n-3 alpha-linolenic acid and WR results in a sort of fatty fish-like effect, demonstrating that the n-3 LCFA levels in blood and tissues could be increased without eating marine foods, and without promoting unsustainable overfishing, and without damaging marine ecology. Fish consumption has considerably increased in recent decades, resulting in overfishing to respond to the worldwide demand[2], and, at the same time, sea and ocean pollution have increased over the planet[3] As a consequence, it is more and more difficult for consumers to obtain high-quality marine foods at reasonable prices[2].

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