ARS | Publication request: The effect of dietary fat and omega-3 fatty acids on whole body lipid oxidation

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 28, 2011
Publication Date: March 29, 2012
Citation: Ainslie-Waldman, C.E., Young, L.R., Kurzer, M.S., Raatz, S.K., Csallany, A.S. 2012. The effect of dietary fat and omega-3 fatty acids on whole body lipid oxidation. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference. 26:1016.2.

Technical Abstract: Lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids yields several electrophilic, reactive carbonyl metabolites. We hypothesized that an increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3) would lead to increased lipid peroxidation metabolites compared to a diet low in n-3. As part of a randomized crossover dietary intervention trial, urinary markers of whole body lipid peroxidation were analyzed. Study subjects (n=15) included healthy, postmenopausal women who were fed a low-fat diet (20% of energy from fat, LF) or low-fat diet supplemented with 3% of energy from n-3 fatty acids (LFn3) for 8 weeks. Urine was collected during two consecutive 24-hour collections in the last two days of each diet. Whole body lipid peroxidation within each subject was measured via complementary methods. Analysis via urinary TBARS was followed by a sensitive HPLC separation and quantification of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine-reactive lipophilic aldehydes, including 4-hydroxynonenal, 4-hydroxyhexenal, and other nonpolar aldehydes. The results of the HPLC technique showed that LFn3 resulted in increased levels of lipid peroxidation products by two-fold relative to LF. These results show that increased n-3 intake leads to increased production of in vivo secondary lipid peroxidation products. The impact of these results requires further investigation.