On September 25, 2024, Leslie Coüedelo, Nutrition Project Manager, presented a poster in the session dedicated to marine lipids and nutrition, entitled: "Impact de la structuration du DHA dans les lipides marins sur son absorption intestinale et son devenir métabolique".
The 19th edition of GERLI was held from September 23 to 26, 2024 in Brest, and was devoted to "lipids: from sea to fork".
Summary
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an essential fatty acid (EFA) with proven health benefits, and improving its bioavailability has become a public health issue in light of recent consumption surveys. Among the strategies available, structuring FAs represents a new approach to increasing DHA bioavailability.
In this context, we studied the impact of several DHA-rich formulas derived from microalgae oil, differing in their molecular structures: ethyl ester (DHA-EE), monoglyceride (DHA-MG) or triglyceride added to plant phospholipids (DHA-TG+ PL) or not (DHA-TG), on the intestinal absorption of DHA. We therefore monitored the lymphatic bioavailability of DHA in rats fed the different formulas. In addition, the lipid characteristics of the resulting lymphatic chylomicrons (LMC) were determined by the DHA composition of lymphatic TG and PL.
The results showed that DHA-EE was the least favorable for DHA bioavailability, while the MG-DHA structure showed significantly higher DHA Cmax (+50%) and AUC (+89%) than the other structures. This improvement was explained by bypassing the lipolysis step with a faster Tmax (1-2h less) in the MG group. In addition, the DHA-MG structure enriched lymphatic TGs more favorably in DHA (+40%) and PL (+50%) compared to EE or TG structures.
By modifying the composition and structure of CML, the vectorization and metabolic fate of DHA could be different in the body to specifically target certain tissues. Thus, the molecular form of fatty acid delivery may be a means of improving the digestion and intestinal absorption of essential fatty acids such as DHA, to the point of modulating the characteristics of CML and thus directing its tissue and metabolic fate.
Based on previous data, we hypothesize that structuring DHA as TG or EE, DHA could favor targeting liver tissues and metabolism, while structuring DHA as MG could target nervous tissues, such as the retina or brain.
"Impact of structuring DHA in marine lipids on its intestinal absorption and metabolic fate"
L. Coüedelo¹, S. Lennon², H. Abrous¹, C. Ikram¹, C. Bouju¹, H. Griffon¹, C. Vaysse¹, L. Larvol², G. Breton²
¹ ITERG, ²POLARIS