Bioavailability and biotransformation of linolenic acid from basil seed oil as a novel source of omega-3 fatty acids tested on a rat experimental model
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Martínez Martínez, Rosario; Mesas Hernández, Cristina; Guzmán, Ana; Galisteo Moya, Milagros; López-Jurado Romero De La Cruz, María; Prados Salazar, José Carlos; Melguizo Alonso, Consolación; Porres Foulquie, Jesús MaríaEditorial
Royal Society of Chemistry
Date
2022-06-07Referencia bibliográfica
Food Funct., 2022, Advance Article. DOI: [10.1039/d2fo00672c]
Sponsorship
Spanish Government; European Commission PTQ-17-09172 RTC-2017-6540-1 RTI2018-100934-B-I00 RTC2019-006870-1; Andalusian Government AGR145 CTS164 CTS-107Abstract
Basil is an aromatic herb with a high concentration of bioactive compounds. The oil extracted from its
seeds is a good source of α-linolenic acid (ALA) and also provides substantial amounts of linoleic acid
(LA). This study aimed to test the bioavailability of the oil derived from basil seeds and its effects on
different physiological parameters using 7–15% dietary inclusion levels. Furthermore, the assimilation of
LA and ALA and their transformation in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) have been
studied. Digestive utilization of total fat from basil seed oil (BSO) was high and similar to that of olive oil
used as a control. Consumption of BSO resulted in increased LA and ALA levels of the plasma, liver, and
erythrocyte membrane. In addition, the transformation of LA to arachidonic acid (ARA) was decreased by
the high dietary intake of ALA which redirected the pathway of the Δ-6 desaturase enzyme towards the
transformation of ALA into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). No alterations of hematological and plasma biochemical
parameters were found for the 7 and 10% dietary inclusion levels of BSO, whereas a decrease in
the platelet count and an increase in total- and HDL-cholesterol as well as plasma alkaline phosphatase
(ALP) were found for a 15% BSO dose. In conclusion, BSO is a good source of ALA to be transformed into
EPA and decrease the precursor of the pro-inflammatory molecule ARA. This effect on the levels of EPA
in different tissues offers potential for its use as a dietary supplement, novel functional food, or a constituent
of nutraceutical formulations to treat different pathologies.