Supplementation With Omega 3 in a Diet With Omega 9 Fatty Acids. Study on Serum, Thymus and Brain of Growing Rat

Fatty acids have an important role in nutrition. The objective was to analyze the effect of diet containing olive oil, with and without the supplementation with omega 3, on serum, thymus and brain’s fatty acid profiles of growing rats. Weanling Wistar rats fed during 10 days a diet containing olive oil as fat (O group). Other group received the same diet supplemented with 24mg/day of fish oil (OS group). Control group(C) received diet according AIN’93. Serum, thymus and brain’s fatty acids profiles were determined by gas chromatography. Statistical analysis used ANOVA. Results (%Area) were expressed as the Mean ± SD: SERUM: OLEIC O:23.44 ± 3.68a; OS:18.31 ± 2.22a; C:10.60 ± 2.01b; LINOLEIC(LA) O:12.44 ± 1.65b; OS:12.98 ± 4.31b; C:18.27 ± 2.81a; LINOLENIC(ALA) O:0.30 ± 0.09b; OS:0.32 ± 0.08b; C:0.92 ± 0.34a; EPA O:0.65 ± 0.17b; OS:1.63 ± 0.49a; C:0.80 ± 0.23b; DHA: O:1.57 ± 0.58b; OS:4.00 ± 1.70a; C:1.33 ± 0.19b. THYMUS: OLEIC O:21.54 ± 5.92; OS:24.40 ± 5.04; C:18.22 ± 3.23; LINOLEIC O:5.90 ± 0.56b; OS:6.50 ± 0.61b; C:10.89 ± 2.18a; ALA O:0.27 ± 0.02b; OS:0.30 ± 0.07b; C:0.49 ± 0.19a; EPA O:0.49 ± 0.28; OS:0.50 ± 0.13; C:0.50 ± 0.12; DHA O:0.47 ± 0.10b; OS:0.70 ± 0.12a; C:0.52 ± 0.16b. BRAIN: OLEIC O:13.11 ± 2.64; OS:12.94 ± 1.07; C:13.14 ± 1.56; LA O:1.17 ± 0.46; OS:1.05 ± 0.33; C:1.26 ± 0.19; ALA O:0.15 ± 0.03; OS:0.12 ± 0.04; C:0.16 ± 0.06; EPA O:0.46 ± 0.18; OS:0.38 ± 0.09; C:0.33 ± 0.07; DHA: O:11.39 ± 2.04; OS:11.32 ± 1.69; C:11.66 ± 1.63. Means with one letter (a, b) in common, were not significantly different (p > 0.05). In sera, O and OS showed lower ALA and LA and higher oleic levels, compared to C. OS presented high levels of EPA and DHA. In thymus, O and OS groups showed lower levels of ALA and LA than C. DHA only increased in the OS group. No changes were presented in the brain. The results suggest that olive oil exacerbated omega-9 family with diminution of essential fatty acids while organism tries to sustain brain essential fatty acids. Fish oil supplementation increased serum and thymus DHA levels, not modifying low levels of other essential fatty acids. Another source of supplementation may be convenient to analyze. Supported by University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.