Lymphatic Transport of a-Linolenic Acid and Its Conversion to Long Chain n-3 Fatty Acids in Rats Fed Microemulsions of Linseed Oil.

In the present study we evaluated the uptake of
ALA and its conversion to EPA ? DHA in rats given
linseed oil (LSO) in native form or as a microemulsion in
whey protein or in lipoid. In a single oral dose study in
which rats maintained on rodent pellets deficient in x-3
fatty acids were intubated with 0.35 g LSO in lipoid, the
amount of ALA present in lymph was increased reaching a
maximum concentration of 16.23 mg/ml at 2.5 h. The
amount of ALA present in lymph was increased to a
maximum level of 10.95 mg/ml at 4 h in rats given LSO as
a microemulsion in whey protein. When LSO was given
without emulsification, the amount of ALA present in
lymph was found to reach a maximum level of 7.08 mg/ml
at 6 h. A similar result was observed when weaning rats
were intubated with 0.15 g of LSO per day for a period of
60 days. Higher levels of ALA by 41 and 103 % were
observed in lymph lipids of rats given microemulsions of
LSO in whey protein and in lipoid respectively as compared
to rats given LSO without pre-emulsification. Very
little conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA was observed in
lymph lipids but higher amounts of EPA ? DHA was
observed in liver and serum of rats given LSO in microemulsion
form. This study indicated that ALA concentration
in lymph lipids was increased when LSO was given in
microemulsion form in lipoid and further conversion to
EPA and DHA was facilitated in liver and serum.