α-Linolenic acid prevents the hypercholesteremic effects of cholesterol addition to a corn oil diet

The seed's protein and oil content, fatty acid composition, and growing cycle length of a single genotype of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) as affected by environmental factors

As a botanical source, variability in chia seed composition could be expected between growing locations, and between years within a location, due to genotype and environment effects as well genetic x environment's interactions. The objective of the present study was to determine the location effect on the growing cycle length, and seed's protein content, lipid content, and fatty acid profiles, of a single chia genotype. Seeds of chia genotype Tzotzol grown on eight sites in five different ecosystems were tested. One site was in Argentina, in the Semi-Arid Chaco ecosystem (T(5)); one was in Bolivia, in the Sub-Humid Chaco ecosystem (T(4)); and six in Ecuador, one in the Coastal Desert (T(3)), two on the Tropical Rain Forest (T(2)), and three in the Inter-Andean Dry Valley ecosystem (T(1)). Seeds from plants grown in T(4) and in T(3) contained significantly (P <0.05) more protein percentage than did seeds from the other three ecosystems. No significant (P <0.05) differences in protein content were found between T(3) and T(4), and between T(1), T(2), and T(5). Seeds from T(1) and T(5) ecosystems, with 33.5 and 32.2%, respectively, were the numerically highest oil content producers, but their results were only significantly (P <0.05) higher when compared with the T(2) seeds. Significant (P <0.05) differences in palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and alpha-linolenic fatty acids between oils from seeds grown in different ecosystems were detected, however. Oil of seeds grown in the T(3) ecosystem had the palmitic, stearic and oleic fatty acids' highest contents. Palmitic and oleic fatty acid levels were significantly (P <0.05) higher when were compared to that of seeds grown in the T(1) ecosystem, and stearic when was compared to that of seeds grown in the T(5) ecosystem; omega-6 linoleic fatty acid content was significantly (P <0.05) lower in oils of seeds produced in T(1), and T(2) than in those produced in T(3), T(4), and T(5) ecosystems; omega-3 alpha-linolenic fatty acid content was significantly (P <0.05) higher in seeds produced in T(1), than in those produced in T(3), T(4), and T(5), but not in those produced in T(2).

Effect of Dietary α-Linolenic Fatty Acid Derived from Chia when Fed as Ground Seed, Whole Seed and Oil on Lipid Content and Fatty Acid Composition of Rat Plasma

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common cause of death in the Western world. In both the USA and the EU it accounts for over 600,000 deaths yearly. Early data showing the benefits n-3 fatty acids provide in preventing CHD disease were obtained using 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 fatty acids derived from fish. Recently, however, it has been shown that reduced risks of CHD and other cardiovascular diseases are found with 18:3n-3 fatty acid as well. To determine if 18:3n-3 fatty acids positively influence plasma composition, 32 male Wistar rats were fed ad libitum four isocaloric diets with the energy derived from corn oil (T(1)), whole chia seed (T(2)), ground chia seed (T(3)), or chia oil (T(4)) for 30 days. At the end of the feeding period the rats were sacrificed, and blood samples were analyzed to determine serum CHOL, HDL, LDL, TG content, hemogram, and fatty acid composition. Chia decreased serum TG content and increased HDL content. Only with the T(2) diet was TG significantly (p < 0.05) lower, and only with the T(3) diet was HDL significantly (p < 0.05) higher, than the control diet. Chia significantly (p < 0.05) increased the 18:3n-3, 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 plasma contents compared to the control diet, with no significant (p < 0.05) difference among chia diets detected. Significant (p < 0.05) improvement in n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio was observed for all chia diets when compared to the control.

Chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) as an omega-3 fatty acid source for broilers: influence on fatty acid composition, cholesterol and fat content of white and dark meats, growth performance, and sensory characteristics

Five thousand four hundred, 1-d-old, male, Ross 308, broiler chicks were fed for 49 d to compare diets containing 10 and 20% chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seed to a control diet. Cholesterol content, total fat content, and fatty acid composition of white and dark meats were determined at the end of the trial. A taste panel assessed meat flavor and preference. Cholesterol content was not significantly different among treatments; however, the 10% chia diet produced a lower fat content in the dark meat than did the control diet. Palmitic fatty acid content was less in both meat types when chia was fed, with differences being significant (P < 0.05), except for the white meat and the 20% chia diet. alpha-Linolenic fatty acid was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the white and dark meats with the chia diets. Chia significantly lowered the saturated fatty acid content as well as the saturated:polyunsaturated fatty acid and omega-6:omega-3 ratios of the white and dark meats compared to the control diet. No significant differences in flavor or preference ratings were detected among diets. Body weight and feed conversion were significantly lower with the chia diets than with the control, with weight reductions up to 6.2% recorded with the 20% chia diet.

Fatty acid mixture counters stress changes in cortisol, cholesterol, and impair learning

A mixture of linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids (free non-esterified unsaturated fatty acids) administered for 3 weeks prior to injection of cortisol (10 mg/kg), or prior to immersion of rats in a 10 degree C saline bath, prevented elevation of blood levels of cortisol and cholesterol and deficits in Morris water maze spatial learning that usually accompany such stressful conditions. Differences from controls on all behavioural and biochemical measures were statistically significant (P < .05). It is proposed that induction of intense stress, and the associated increase in cortisol, cholesterol and other corticosteroids may damage hippocampal structures and help account for the cognitive decline witnessed in Alzheimer's disease and other age-related conditions. The modulation of these consequences by the fatty acid mixture may provide an alternative strategy for the study of stress markers and for the development of other intervention options in humans.

The effect of a combined dietary treatment with cholesterol and cholic acid on the lipid metabolism of geese at low or high choline concentrations

A previous study demonstrated that a dietary treatment of young geese with cholesterol and cholic acid raises lipid concentrations in the liver. The present study was carried out to investigate whether such a lipid accumulation caused by those hyperlipidemic compounds can be intensified by low dietary choline concentrations. Therefore, 38 eight-week old geese were divided into four groups of 9 or 10 animals each and received a basal diet poor in choline which consisted predominately of maize and soy protein isolate over a period of 8 weeks. Treatment factors were supplementation of diets with cholesterol and cholic acid (0 vs. 5 g of cholesterol and cholic acid each per kg) and supplementation of choline chloride (0 vs. 1.5 g/kg). Final body weights as well as carcass weights were neither influenced significantly by dietary treatment with cholesterol and cholic acid nor by low dietary choline concentrations. However, feeding diets supplemented with cholesterol and cholic acid markedly increased liver weights (two-fold), hepatic triglyceride (3.7-fold) and cholesterol (12-fold) concentrations and percentages of monounsaturated fatty acids at the expense of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the liver. In geese fed diets with cholesterol and cholic acid, insufficient choline supply did not intensify, but even slightly reduced hepatic lipid accumulation. Geese fed diets with cholesterol and cholic acid exhibited markedly increased levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids in plasma and very low-density lipoproteins, regardless of the choline supply. Muscle tissue of geese fed diets supplemented with cholesterol and cholic acid exhibited also increased concentrations of triglycerides and cholesterol whereas the fatty acid composition of muscle lipids remained unchanged. Among geese without hyperlipidemic treatment, concentrations of triglycerides in plasma and very low-density lipoproteins as well as the concentrations of phosphatidylcholine in liver and muscle tissue were not reduced by low dietary choline concentrations. Therefore, it is suggested that those animals were able to synthesize endogenous sufficient choline.