Effect of different types of omega-3 fish oil on the physiological, biochemical and immunological parameters in male rabbits

Abstract

Omega-3 oil has been associated with several health benefits. It is challenging to get the required dose from one source. Therefore, the present study was aimed at evaluating the effects of three different types of omega-3 fish oil on the physiological, biochemical, and immunological parameters of domestic male rabbits. Twenty male rabbits were divided into four groups and used for the study. The grouping included animals that were administered: water (control) (Group 1); 400 mg/kg/day commercial fish oil (Group 2); 400 mg/kg/day pure fish oil (Group 3); 400 mg/kg/day complex omega-3, 6, 9 oil (Group 4). The experiment was terminated after three weeks and blood samples were collected for biochemical and immunological assays. The results indicated that omega-3 oil treatment affected lipid profiles, biochemical parameters and serum cytokine levels differently. There was no significant difference in the levels of cholesterol and VLDL-C among all the treatment groups in relation to the control. A high level of serotonin was observed in Group 2 animals (47.18±12.00 ng/mL). Also, high amounts of glutathione were recorded for Groups 2 (26.32±7.09 µmol/L) and 3 (26.04±7.22 µmol/L) animals in relation to the other experimental groups. There was no significant difference in the cytokine levels of IL-10 and TNF-α among all the treatment groups. Furthermore, the amount of IL-6 was low in both Groups 2 and 3 compared with the other groups. The findings from this study revealed that the commercial omega-3 fish oil has a positive effect on health parameters compared to other omega-3 sources.