Fish Oil and Microalga Omega‐3 as Dietary Supplements: A Comparative Study on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in High‐Fat Fed Rats

• DOI: 10.1007/s11745-016-4177-2
• Publication Date: 2016-08-09T06:46:22Z
• Authors: Adil Haimeur; Virginie Mimouni; Lionel Ulmann; Anne‐Sophie Marti...; Hafida Messaouri; Fabienne Pineau‐V...; Gérard Tremblin; Nadia Meskini
• Keywords: Male; 0301 basic medicine; N-3 PUFA; Fish oil; Wistar rat; Diet, High-Fat; Random Allocation; 03 medical and health sciences; Fish Oils; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Microalgae; Animals; Platelet aggregation; 2. Zero hunger; Odontella aurita; High fat diet; Body Weight; Cardiovascular disease; Lipids; Rats; 3. Good health; Fatty Liver; [SDV.AEN] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Food and Nutrition; Disease Models, Animal; Oxidative Stress; Treatment Outcome; Cardiovascular Diseases; Dietary Supplements; [SDV.AEN]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Food and Nutrition

AbstractDietary supplementation with marine omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFA) can have beneficial effects on a number of risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We compared the effects of two n‐3 PUFA rich food supplements (freeze‐dried Odontella aurita and fish oil) on risk factors for CVD. Male rats were randomly divided into four groups of six animals each and fed with the following diets: control group (C) received a standard diet containing 7 % lipids; second group (HF high fat) was fed with a high‐fat diet containing 40 % lipids; third group (HFFO high fat+fish oil) was fed with the high‐fat diet supplemented with 0.5 % fish oil; and fourth group (HFOA high fat+O. aurita) received the high‐fat diet supplemented with 12 % of freeze‐dried O. aurita. After 8 weeks rats fed with the high‐fat diet supplemented with O. aurita displayed a significantly lower bodyweight than those in the other groups. Both the microalga and the fish oil significantly reduced insulinemia and serum lipid levels. O. aurita was more effective than the fish oil in reducing hepatic triacyglycerol levels and in preventing high‐fat diet‐induced steatosis. O. aurita and fish oil also reduced platelet aggregation and oxidative status induced by high fat intake. After an OA supplementation, the adipocytes in the HFOA group were smaller than those in the HF group. Freeze‐dried O. aurita showed similar or even greater biological effects than the fish oil. This could be explained by a potential effect of the n‐3 PUFA but also other bioactive compounds of the microalgae.