Enrichment of Brain n-3 Docosapentaenoic Acid (DPA) and Retinal n-3 Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) in Lambs Fed Nannochloropsis oceanica Microalga

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have special physiological functions in both brain and retinal tissues that are related to the modulation of inflammatory processes and direct effects on neuronal membrane fluidity, impacting mental and visual health. Among them, the long-chain (LC) n-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animals (Basel) 2023-02, Vol.13 (5), p.828
Main Authors: Vítor, Ana C M, Correia, Jorge J, Alves, Susana P, Bessa, Rui J B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Animals
Aquatic microorganisms
Biomass
Brain
Composition
Diet
dimethyl acetal
Docosahexaenoic acid
Eicosapentaenoic acid
Evaluation
fatty acid
Fatty acids
Fluidity
Freeze drying
hippocampus
Inflammation
Lipids
Liver
Membrane fluidity
Oils & fats
Physiology
Prefrontal cortex
Retina
Tissues
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Summary:Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have special physiological functions in both brain and retinal tissues that are related to the modulation of inflammatory processes and direct effects on neuronal membrane fluidity, impacting mental and visual health. Among them, the long-chain (LC) n-3 PUFAs, as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are of special importance. Scarce data are available about the fatty acid (FA) composition of the ruminant brain in response to dietary intervention. However, we decided to examine the brain and retina FA composition of lambs supplemented with an EPA-rich microalga feed for 21 days, as it is known that despite the extensive biohydrogenation of dietary PUFAs in the rumen, ruminants can selectively accumulate some n-3 LC-PUFAs in their brain and retinal tissues. Twenty-eight male lambs were fed a control diet, or the same diet further supplemented with sp. microalga. Their brains and retina were collected for FA characterization. Overall, the brain FA profile remained unchanged, with little alteration in omega-3 docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) enhancement in both the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Retinal tissues were particularly responsive to the dietary intervention, with a 4.5-fold enhancement of EPA in the freeze-dried-fed lambs compared with the control lambs. We conclude that retinal tissues are sensitive to short-term n-3 PUFA supplementation in lambs.
ISSN:2076-2615
2076-2615
DOI:10.3390/ani13050828