Randomized Structured Triglycerides Increase Lymphatic Absorption of Tocopherol and Retinol Compared with the Equivalent Physical Mixture in a Rat Model of Fat Malabsorption

Previously we demonstrated that the digestion, absorption and lymphatic transport of lipid and key essential fatty acids (EFA) from randomly interesterified fish oil/medium-chain structured triglycerides (STG) were significantly higher than an equivalent physical mixture (PM) in a normal lymph fistula rat model and in a rat model of lipid malabsorption caused by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. The goals of this study were to further explore the potential absorptive benefits of STG by comparing the intestinal absorption and lymphatic transport of tocopherol and retinol when delivered gastrically with either STG or PM under normal conditions and after I/R injury to the small bowel. Food-deprived male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to two treatments (sham controls or I/R). Under halothane anesthesia, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was occluded for 20 min and then reperfused in I/R rats. The SMA was isolated but not occluded in control rats. In both groups, the mesenteric lymph duct was cannulated and a gastric tube was inserted. Each treatment group received 1 mL of the fish oil/MCT STG or PM (7 rats/group) along with (14)C-alpha-tocopherol and (3)H-retinol through the gastric tube followed by an infusion of PBS at 3 mL/h for 8 h. Lymph was collected hourly for 8 h. Under steady-state conditions, the amount of (14)C-alpha-tocopherol and (3)H-retinol transported into lymph was significantly higher in the STG-fed rats compared with those fed PM in both control and I/R groups. In addition, control and I/R rats given STG had earlier steady-state outputs of (14)C-alpha-tocopherol and (3)H-retinol and maintained approximately 30% higher outputs in lymph throughout the 8-h lymph collection period compared with rats given the PM. We conclude that STG provides the opportunity to potentiate improved absorption of fat-soluble vitamins under normal and malabsorptive states.