Dietary Effects of Punicic Acid on the Composition and Peroxidation of Rat Plasma Lipid

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to examine the oxidative behavior of punicic acid (9 cis, 11 trans, 13 cis-18:3 octadecatrienoic fatty acid) under in vivo condition using male albino rats after blending with dietary soybean oil. Male weanling Charles Foster rats (n = four to eight), weighing 65-68 grams, were allocated for fourteen weeks to diets containing 0.6, 1.2 and 2.4% (by weight) punicic acid obtained from snake gourd seed oil (Trichosanthes anguina) after mixing with soybean oil, vis-à-vis control group consisting of 100% soybean oil, containing 50.3% C18:2, 6.2% 9 cis, 12 cis, 15 cis-18:3 (linolenic acid) and does not contain punicic acid. Increase in weight remained higher than control in rats fed with 0.6 and 1.2% punicic acid throughout the experimental period. There was significant lowering in plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the groups fed with 2.4% punicic acid. Lipoprotein oxidation susceptibility or LOS expressed as nmoles of malondialdehyde (MDA) per mg of non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and plasma lipid peroxidation or PLP expressed as nmoles of MDA per ml of plasma exhibited maximum antioxidant efficiency at 1.2% punicic acid, being equivalent to that of control (100% soybean oil). While LOS expressed as nmoles of MDA decreased significantly (except at 2.4% punicic acid level) with the least oxidation at 0.6% punicic acid, with respect to control. Accordingly, punicic acid seemed to be acting both as pro-oxidant (at 1.2% punicic acid level) and antioxidant (at 0.6% punicic acid level), with significant decrease in TC and LDL-C at 2.4% punicic acid level when compared to control. © 2002, Japan Oil Chemists' Society. All rights reserved.