How To Stabilize ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) in an Animal Feeding Study?—Effects of the Temperature, Oxygen Level, and Antioxidant on Oxidative Stability of ω-3 PUFAs in a Mouse Diet

Abstract

Substantial studies have shown that ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have various health-promoting effects; however, there are inconsistent results from animal studies that showed that ω-3 PUFAs have no effects or even detrimental effects. Emerging research suggests that oxidized ω-3 PUFAs have different effects compared to unoxidized ω-3 PUFAs; therefore, lipid oxidation of dietary ω-3 PUFAs could contribute to the mixed results of ω-3 PUFAs in animal studies. Here, we prepared an AIN-93G-based, semi-purified, powder diet, which is one of the most commonly used rodent diets in animal studies, to study the oxidative stability of fortified ω-3 PUFAs in animal feed. We found that lowering the storage temperature or the addition of a certain antioxidant, notably tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), helps to stabilize ω-3 PUFAs and suppress ω-3 oxidation in the animal diet, while reducing the level of oxygen in the storage atmosphere is not very effective. The addition of 50 ppm of TBHQ in the diet inhibited 99.5 ± 0.1% formation of primary oxidation products and inhibited 96.1 ± 0.7% formation of secondary oxidation products, after 10 days of storage of the prepared diet at a typical animal-feeding experiment condition. Overall, our results highlight that ω-3 PUFAs are highly prone to lipid oxidation in a typical animal-feeding experiment, emphasizing the critical importance to stabilize ω-3 PUFAs in animal studies.

Antioxidative Properties and Chemical Changes of Quercetin in Fish Oil: Quercetin Reacts with Free Fatty Acids to Form Its Ester Derivatives

“…Many countries have allowed fortifying food products such as ice cream, milk, and bread with fish oils to ensure adequate consumption of ω-3 PUFAs . However, ω-3 PUFAs were susceptible to oxidation, releasing harmful oxidized products including reactive carbonyl species (RCS, mainly α,β-unsaturated aldehydes) and thus leading to the nutritional loss and generation of undesirable rancidity and fishy off-flavor. , …”

Fatty Acid Stable Carbon Isotope Ratios Combined with Oxidation Kinetics for Characterization and Authentication of Walnut Oils

“…Oxidation can cause unpleasant odors and seriously affect consumers’ acceptance and the shelf life of walnut oil. Oxidized PUFAs not only lose their health-promoting benefits but also could cause opposite effects . Moreover, walnut oil adulteration is very serious at present and occurs mainly in two forms: (1) adding other low-priced oils into walnut oil; (2) dishonesty regarding the geographic origin of different walnut oils.…”

“…Oxidized PUFAs not only lose their health-promoting benefits but also could cause opposite effects. 1 Moreover, walnut oil adulteration is very serious at present and occurs mainly in two forms: (1) adding other low-priced oils into walnut oil; (2) dishonesty regarding the geographic origin of different walnut oils. Therefore, it is of vital importance to establish an effective and quick method to evaluate the differences of oxidative stability and shelf life among variable origins of walnut oils.…”

Polyphenols and ω-3 PUFAs: Beneficial Outcomes to Obesity and Its Related Metabolic Diseases

“…These reactions result in enzymatic oxidation with increase the production of Eseries resolvins from EPA, and D-series Resolvins (DHA), prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes, epoxy products (84,85). Besides, the ω-3 PUFAs decrease in amount during food confections by thermal processing, while in inversely proportion occurs the increasing of degradation and hazard oxidized substances that damage cell membranes (86,87). The oxidation products are higher in fried, followed by roasted, and boiled foods, which present the same proportion of oxidative products when compared to raw food (88,89).…”