(The FASEB Journal. 2013;27:345.6)
The effect of non-marine vs. marine sources of the omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA, on serum lipoproteins
Mary C Rodavich
Fish oil (FO) is a marine source of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanaenoic acid (DHA), and has been shown to improve heart health. Our objective was to determine the cardiovascular effects of non-marine sources, algae oil (AO) and yeast oil (YO), as compared to fish oil (FO). Male ICR mice (8-wk, n=100) were randomly assigned to dietary groups: soy oil (SO) (no DHA or EPA), FO (DHA + EPA), AO (DHA), YO (EPA), or AO+YO (DHA + EPA) for 2 or 4 wk. Serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and HDL-cholesterol were measured and non-HDL cholesterol (NHDLC) was calculated. Liver DHA and EPA concentration were determined. The FO diet lowered all fractions of plasma lipids and was the only diet to reduce TG (p<0.05). YO, alone and in combination with AO, reduced TC and NHDLC at 4 wks. At 2 wk, AO reduced TC and NHDLC (p<0.05). The AO and AO+YO-fed mice incorporated less DHA into liver lipids compared to the FO-fed mice at 2 wk (p<0.05). There were no differences in the incorporation of EPA. Therefore,
non-marine sources do not appear to be as effective as FO at reducing serum lipids.