The effect of non‐marine vs. marine sources of the omega‐3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA, on serum lipoproteins

Abstract

Fish oil (FO) is a marine source of omega‐3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanaenoic acid (DHA), and has been shown to improve heart health. Our objective was to determine the cardiovascular effects of non‐marine sources, algae oil (AO) and yeast oil (YO), as compared to fish oil (FO). Male ICR mice (8‐wk, n=100) were randomly assigned to dietary groups: soy oil (SO) (no DHA or EPA), FO (DHA + EPA), AO (DHA), YO (EPA), or AO+YO (DHA + EPA) for 2 or 4 wk. Serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and HDL‐cholesterol were measured and non‐HDL cholesterol (NHDLC) was calculated. Liver DHA and EPA concentration were determined. The FO diet lowered all fractions of plasma lipids and was the only diet to reduce TG (p<0.05). YO, alone and in combination with AO, reduced TC and NHDLC at 4 wks. At 2 wk, AO reduced TC and NHDLC (p<0.05). The AO and AO+YO‐fed mice incorporated less DHA into liver lipids compared to the FO‐fed mice at 2 wk (p<0.05). There were no differences in the incorporation of EPA. Therefore, non‐marine sources do not appear to be as effective as FO at reducing serum lipids.