ACKMAN, R. G., and EATON, C. A. 1988. n -3 Docosapentaenoic acid in blubber of dam and pup grey seals (Halichoerus grypus): implications in the Inuit diet and for human health. Can. J. Zool. 66: 24.28-243 1. n-3 Docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n -3) is shown to constitute as much as 6 % of the total fatty acids in six sets of dam-pup blubber samples from grey seals, Halichoerus grypus. Relative to fish oils, this fatty acid is several times more plentiful in the seal fats that form an important part of Inuit diets. Consideration of intakes of a-3 fatty acids as therapeutic agents for cardiovascular and other health disorders in man should include this quantitatively important fatty acid of seal fats. ACKMAN, R. G., et EATON, C. A. 1988. n -3 Docosapentaenoic acid in blubber of dam and pup grey seals (Halichoerus grypus): implications in the Inuit diet and for human health. Can. J. Zool. 66 : 2428-2431. L'acide n-3 docosapentaenoi'que (22:5n -3) constitute au moins 6 % du contenu total en acides gras dans six series d'echantillons de lard de mkres -petits chez le Phoque gris (Halichoerus grypus). Cet acide est beaucoup plus abondant dans les graisses des phoques, qui constituent une fraction importante du regime alimentaire des Inuits, que dans les huiles des poissons. Si les acides gras a-3 peuvent effectivement servir d'agents therapeutiques dans les cas de maladies cardio-vasculaires ou autres chez l'homme, il faudrait songer a inclure, parmi ces agents, cet acide gras trks abondant des graisses du phoque.[Traduit par la revue]
IntroductionMaterials and methods The current interest in EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid; 20:5n -3) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid; 22:6n -3) in human nutrition arose from observations on the diets of Greenland Inuit (Bang and Dyerberg 1976) in which seal blubber was shown to be an important component. Later EPA was singled out as a fatty acid with unique and possibly highly desirable therapeutic benefits in human cardiovascular problems (Dyerberg et al. 1978). Recently von Schacky and Weber (1985) have also indicated that DPA (the n -3 isomer of docosapentaenoic acid; 22:5n-3) is an intermediate between EPA and DHA, which is active in man.In our opinion the remarkably high proportion of DPA in seal fats has not received the attention it deserves. Mention was included in a survey of Nova Scotia commercial seal oils produced largely from young harp seals, Pagophilus groenlandica (Ackman et al. 1971), and in other papers on North Atlantic seal fats (Jangaard and Ke 1968;Ackman et al. 1972;Ackman and Hooper 1974), extending our observations to a few Atlantic harbour (Phoca vitulina vitulina) and grey (Halichoerus grypus) seals.The role of DPA in human health may become more important as efforts are made to compare the epidemiological data for Inuit health with the absence of specific diseases (Simopoulos et al. 1986) and thus to suggest therapeutic doses with fish oil or fish oil concentrates. In the latter oils, DPA is a relatively minor component, usually 1 -2 % of total fatty acids in natural f...