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Dietary Bioactive Components (Poster Session)

(P26-025-25) Supplementation With Flax Oil in a Diet Containing Saturated Fatty Acid. Effect on Serum Fatty Acid Profiles of Growing Rats

Monday, June 2, 2025
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM ET
Location: Poster Board C-50

    Presenting Author(s)

  • MG

    María F. Godoy, Ph D

    Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica
    CABA, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

    • Co-Author(s)

  • AI

    Anabel Impa Condori, Bioquímica

    Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Nutrición, Argentina
    CABA, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

  • KT

    Karla Torrealba

    Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Cátedra de Nutrición, Argentina

  • SG

    Silvia Giacomino

    Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

  • MF

    María Susana Feliu

    Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Objectives: A balanced and varied diet is important to maintain optimal health status and prevent diseases. The objective was to analyze the effect of diet containing butter, as fat source, with and without the supplementation with flax oil as source of omega 3, on serum fatty acid profiles of growing rats.

Methods: Weanling Wistar rats received during 10 days a normocaloric diet and fat was provided by butter (B group). The other group received the same diet supplemented with 24mg omega-3 /day of flax oil (BF group) and control group (C) received diet AIN´93. Serum fatty acids profiles were determined by gas chromatography. Statistical analysis: ANOVA and Tukey or Kruskal Wallis as post hoc tests.

Results: Results (%Area) were expressed as Mean ±SD: SERUM: PALMITIC B: 21.80±2.20a BF: 20,26±1,29ab C: 18.63±1,98b; OLEIC B:17.65±1.64a BF: 15,08 ±1.48b C: 9.34±1.22c; LINOLEIC (LA) B:8.19±1.12c BF: 10.07±0.66b C:22.44±1.67a. Alpha-linolenic (ALA) B: 0.35±0.10c BF:0.51±0.09b C:1.03±0.28a; Arachidonic (AA) B: 13.56±1.97c BF: 21.65±2.21a C:17.91±1.45b EPA B:1.05±0.18b BF: 1.88±0.28a C: 1.01±0.19b; DHA: B:2.02±0.34b BF:3.75±0.57a C:2.70±0.61b. Means with no letter (a,b,c) in common, were different (p < 0.01).

These findings suggest that diet containing saturated fatty acids, provoke alterations in serum fatty acids profile such as the decrease in essential fatty acids. The supplementation with flax oil improved LA and ALA and decreased oleic concentrations compared to B but did not reach C levels. The BF group exhibited significantly higher levels of AA, EPA, and DHA compared to groups B and C. Supplementation with flax oil in a high-saturated-fat diet effectively increased serum omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in growing rats, compared to the control group.

Conclusions: This effect is attributable to the type of lipid provided in the supplementation. Flax oil provides essential fatty acids, highlighting that the fatty acid composition of the diet is a critical factor for optimal health.

Funding Sources: This work was supported by UBACyT: 20020190100093BA.