Synthesis of linoleate and alpha-linolenate by chain elongation in the rats.
Synthesis of linoleate and alpha-linolenate by chain elongation in the rats.
Year: 1995
Authors: S C Cunnane, M A Ryan, K S Craig, S Brookes, B Koletzko, H Demmelmair, J Singer, D J Kyle.
Publication Name: Lipids
Publication Details: Volume 30; Number 8; 781.
Abstract:
The objective of the present study was to assess whether rats could synthesis longer chain PUFAs from hexadecadienoate (16:2n?6) and hexadecatrienoate (16:3n?3). Total liver and carcass lipids were extracted from rats gavaged for a 24 hour period with 20 mg of 13C?labelled hexadecadienoate and hexadecatrienoate. 13C enrichment was reported in desaturated and chain?elongated PUFAs, including LA, AA, ALA and DHA at 12?13% of the dose tracer given. In the carcass and liver ALA, 13C enrichment from hexadecatrienoate was highest, representing 3.5 and 17.9% of the ALA pool. The contribution of 13C enrichment did not exceed 0.2% of the total body pool for LA, AA or DHA. The authors indicated that it is possible that humans can use dietary hexadecadienoate and hexadecatrienoate which is found in green leafy vegetables at levels of 1.2 and 11.6%, respectively, to synthesize a small proportion of their total body content of LA and ALA. Through extrapolation from their data obtained in rats and from dietary estimations, the investigators indicated that the synthesis of ALA from hexadecatrienoate and LA from hexadecadienoate is quite low and may account for <1% and <0.1% of the whole body pools, respectively.
