Dietary intake of n-3 PUFAs modifies the absorption, distribution and bioavailability of fatty acids in the mouse gastrointestinal tract

• Published in: Lipids in health and disease Vol. 16; no. 1; p. 10
• Main Authors: Yang, Qin, Wang, Shunhe, Ji, Yunqi, Chen, Haiqin, Zhang, Hao, Chen, Wei, Gu, Zhennan, Chen, Yong Q
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 17.01.2017; BioMed Central
• Subjects: Analysis; Animals; Biological Availability; Dietary Supplements; Digestion; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Gastrointestinal system; Gastrointestinal Tract - metabolism; Male; Mice; Omega 3 fatty acids; Physiological aspects; United States; Absorption; Bioavailability; n-3 PUFA; Distribution; Gut; SFA
• ISSN: 1476-511X; 1476-511X
• DOI: 10.1186/s12944-016-0399-9

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially n-3 PUFAs, are important for human health. The intestinal tract, a location that is heavily colonized by microorganisms, is the main organ for absorbing fatty acids. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of dietary n-3 and n-6 PUFAs on the distribution of different types of fatty acids and their bioavailability along the gut. Mice were fed for a week with experimental diets containing high n-3 or high n-6 fatty acid levels. Blood was collected at different time points, and after 7 days the mice were euthanized and their digestive tract was divided into 17 segments for fatty acids analyses. We found that supplementing n-3 fatty acids significantly changed the ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFAs, increased the bioavailability of n-3 PUFAs, and altered fatty acid distribution. In addition, in the n-3 diet group, the absorption of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) along the gut was found to be inhibited, which was confirmed by feeding the mice with a diet containing deuterium-labeled palmitic acid and stearic acid. These results show that a diet rich in n-3 PUFAs can significantly modify the distribution and bioavailability of fatty acids, and particularly, may block the absorption of SFAs in the mouse gastrointestinal (GI) tract.