Impact of Administered Bifidobacterium on Murine Host Fatty Acid Composition

• Published in: Lipids Vol. 45; no. 5; pp. 429 - 436
• Main Authors: Wall, Rebecca, Ross, R. Paul, Shanahan, Fergus, O'Mahony, Liam, Kiely, Barry, Quigley, Eamonn, Dinan, Timothy G, Fitzgerald, Gerald, Stanton, Catherine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.05.2010; Springer-Verlag; Springer‐Verlag; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Administration, Oral; alpha-Linolenic Acid - administration & dosage; alpha-Linolenic Acid - chemistry; alpha-Linolenic Acid - metabolism; Animals; Arachidonic acid; Bifidobacteria; Bifidobacterium; Bifidobacterium breve; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brain; Brain Chemistry; Commensals; Dietary supplements; Docosahexaenoic acid; Eicosapentaenoic acid; Fatty acid composition; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids - chemistry; Feces - microbiology; Female; Gas liquid chromatography; Gastrointestinal tract; Inflammation; Life Sciences; Lipidology; Lipids; Liquid chromatography; Liver; Liver - chemistry; Liver - metabolism; Medical Biochemistry; Medicinal Chemistry; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Neurochemistry; Nutrition; Omega-3 fatty acids; Original Article; Probiotics; Probiotics; Microbiota; Docosahexaenoic acid; Eicosapentaenoic acid; Omega-3 fatty acids
• ISSN: 0024-4201; 1558-9307; 1558-9307
• DOI: 10.1007/s11745-010-3410-7

Recently, we reported that administration of Bifidobacteria resulted in increased concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in murine adipose tissue [1]. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of co-administration of Bifidobacterium breve NCIMB 702258 and the substrate for EPA, α-linolenic acid, on host fatty acid composition. α-Linolenic acid-supplemented diets (1%, wt/wt) were fed to mice (n = 8), with or without B. breve NCIMB 702258 (daily dose of 10⁹ microorganisms) for 8 weeks. Two further groups received either supplement of B. breve alone or unsupplemented diet. Tissue fatty acid composition was assessed by gas liquid chromatography. Dietary supplementation of α-linolenic acid resulted in higher (P < 0.05) α-linolenic acid and EPA concentrations in liver and adipose tissue and lower (P < 0.05) arachidonic acid in liver, adipose tissue and brain compared with mice that did not receive α-linolenic acid. Supplementation with B. breve NCIMB 702258 in combination with α-linolenic acid resulted in elevated (P < 0.05) liver EPA concentrations compared with α-linolenic acid supplementation alone. Furthermore, the former group had higher (P < 0.05) DHA in brain compared with the latter group. These results suggest a role for interactions between fatty acids and commensals in the gastrointestinal tract. This interaction between administered microbes and fatty acids could result in a highly effective nutritional approach to the therapy of a variety of inflammatory and neurodegenerative conditions.