No abstract

Dietary trans monoenes have been associated with an increased risk of heart disease in some studies and this has caused much concern. Trans polyenes are also present in the diet, for example, trans α‐linolenic acid is formed during the deodorisation of α‐linolenic acid‐rich oils such as rapeseed oil. One would expect the intake of trans α‐linolenic acid to be on the increase since the consumption of rapeseed oil in the western diet is increasing. There are no data on trans α‐linolenic acid consumption and its effects. We therefore carried out a comprehensive study to examine whether trans isomers of this polyunsaturated fatty acid increased the risk of coronary heart disease. Since inhibition of Δ6‐desaturase had also been linked to heart disease, the effect of trans α‐linolenic acid on the conversion of [U‐13C]‐labelled linoleic acid to dihomo‐γ‐linolenic and arachidonic acid was studied in 7 healthy men recruited from the staff and students of the University of Edinburgh. Thirty percent of the habitual fat was replaced using a trans ‘free’‐ or ‘high’ trans α‐linolenic acid fat. After at least 6 weeks on the experimental diets, the men received 3‐oleyl, 1,2‐[U‐13C]‐linoleyl glycerol (15 mg twice daily for ten days). The fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids and the incorporation of 13C‐label into n‐6 fatty acids were determined at day 8, 9 and 10 and after a 6‐week washout period by gas chromatography‐combustion‐isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Trans α‐linolenic acid of plasma phospholipids increased from 0.04 ? 0.01 to 0.17 ? 0.02 and cis ? ‐linolenic acid decreased from 0.42 ? 0.07 to 0.29 ? 0.08 g/100 g of fatty acids on the high trans diet. The composition of the other plasma phospholipid fatty acids did not change. The enrichment of phosphatidyl 13C‐linoleic acid reached a plateau at day 10 and the average of the last 3 days did not differ between the low and high trans period. Both dihomo‐γ‐linolenic and arachidonic acid in phospholipids were enriched in 13C, both in absolute and relative terms (with respect to 13C‐linoleic acid). The enrichment was slightly and significantly higher during the high trans period (P<0.05). Our data suggest that a diet rich in trans α‐linolenic acid (0.6% of energy) does not inhibit the conversion of linoleic acid to dihomo‐γ‐linolenic and arachidonic acid in healthy middle‐aged men consuming a diet rich in linoleic acid.

Dietary trans α α-linolenic acid does not inhibit ∆ ∆5and ∆ ∆6-desaturation of linoleic acid in manDietary trans monoenes have been associated with an increased risk of heart disease in some studies and this has caused much concern. Trans polyenes are also present in the diet, for example, trans α-linolenic acid is formed during the deodorisation of αlinolenic acid-rich oils such as rapeseed oil. One would expect the intake of trans αlinolenic acid to be on the increase since the consumption of rapeseed oil in the western diet is increasing. There are no data on trans α-linolenic acid consumption and its effects. We therefore carried out a comprehensive study to examine whether trans isomers of this polyunsaturated fatty acid increased the risk of coronary heart disease. Since inhibition of ∆6-desaturase had also been linked to heart disease, the effect of trans α-linolenic acid on the conversion of [U-13 C]-labelled linoleic acid to dihomo-γlinolenic and arachidonic acid was studied in 7 healthy men recruited from the staff and students of the University of Edinburgh. Thirty percent of the habitual fat was replaced using a trans 'free'-or 'high' trans α-linolenic acid fat. After at least 6 weeks on the experimental diets, the men received 3-oleyl, 1,2-[U-13 C]-linoleyl glycerol (15 mg twice daily for ten days). The fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids and the incorporation of 13 C-label into n-6 fatty acids were determined at day 8, 9 and 10 and after a 6-week washout period by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry.Trans α-linolenic acid of plasma phospholipids increased from 0.04 ± 0.01 to 0.17 ± 0.02 and cis α-linolenic acid decreased from 0.42 ± 0.07 to 0.29 ± 0.08 g/100 g of fatty acids on the high trans diet. The composition of the other plasma phospholipid fatty acids did not change. The enrichment of phosphatidyl 13 C-linoleic acid reached a plateau at day 10 and the average of the last 3 days did not differ between the low and high trans period. Both dihomo-γ-linolenic and arachidonic acid in phospholipids were enriched in 13 C, both in absolute and relative terms (with respect to 13 C-linoleic acid). The enrichment was slightly and significantly higher during the high trans period (P<0.05). Our data suggest that a diet rich in trans α-linolenic acid (0.6% of energy) does not inhibit the conversion of linoleic acid to dihomo-γ-linolenic and arachidonic acid in healthy middle-aged men consuming a diet rich in linoleic acid.