Omega 3 Fatty Acids vs Omega 6 Fatty Acids

OBJECTIVES: Dietary lipids have a very important role in nutrition and must be ingested in an appropriate proportion. Objective: To study the effect of w3 fatty acid supplementation of a diet containing sunflower oil (rich in fatty acids omega 6) as fat source, on serum fatty acid profiles of growing rats. METHODS: Weanling Wistar rats received during 10 days normocaloric diet and fat was provided by sunflower oil (S group). The others groups received the same diet supplemented with 24mg/day of fish oil (SF group) or chía oil (SCh group). Control group (C) received AIN´93 diet. Serum fatty acids profiles were determined by gas chromatography. Statistical analysis used ANOVA test. RESULTS: Results: (expressed as %Area) SERUM: OLEIC C:10.11 ± 1.84, S:12.13 ± 3.84, SCh:12.74 ± 1.56, SF: 13.12 ± 2.82; ARACHIDONIC C:13.40 ± 4.39, S:17.61 ± 4.09, SCh: 15.75 ± 0.89, SF:15.41 ± 1.76; LINOLEIC C:20.52 ± 3.37, S: 19.80 ± 3.36, SCh: 21.14 ± 2.12, SF: 18.92 ± 3.87; LINOLENIC (ALA) C:0.93 ± 0.27a, S:0.19 ± 0.06 b, SCh: 0.28 ± 0.08b, SF:0.22 ± 0.05b; EPA C:0.80 ± 0.22, S:0.68 ± 0.15, SCh: 0.74 ± 0.18, SF: 0.67 ± 0.14; DHA C:1.60 ± 0.55a, S:1.14 ± 0.35a, SCh:1.70 ± 0.45a, SF:4.22 ± 0.93b. Media that didn't present a letter (a, b) in common, were different (p < 0.01). In sera, S, SF and SCh groups showed lower ALA levels compared to C. SF group presented high levels of DHA. Diet S was mainly a contributor to linoleic acid with a ratio w6/w3 = 250 (recommended value: 5–10). CONCLUSIONS: The diet containing sunflower oil as fat source shows that ω6 family route was exacerbated; by the other hand ω3 family was depressed. Chia supplement showed a tendency towards higher values of w3 family but were significantly lower than C. Fish oil supplement increase significantly DHA values. Diet containing sunflower oil as fat source provoked changes in serum fatty acids profiles and the supplementation with w3 fatty acid provided by chía or fish oil do not increase ALA values significantly. Diet influences the serum fatty acid profile, being not only important the percentage of lipids on it but also the different fatty acids pattern. FUNDING SOURCES: UBACyT: 20020190100093BA.