Effect of 18:3 n-3 geometrical isomers of heated linseed oll on the biosynthesis of arachidonic acid in rat

Abstract The influence of dietary heated linseed oil on the fatty acid composition of rat liver, platelet and plasma phospholipids (PL) with particular reference to the metabolism of linoleic acid (18:2 n-6) were studied. Δ6 and Δ5 desaturase activities and fatty acid composition of hepatic microsomal total lipids (TL) also were determined. Two groups of male weanling rats were fed, for 6 weeks, diets containing 10% (in weight) of a fresh linseed oil (LO group) and of a heated linseed oil (HLO group). The contents of geometrical isomers of linolenic acid (18:3 n-3) were high in the oil heated at 240°C for 10 hours. The pattern of arachidonic acid (20:4 n-6) in the different lipid fractions …