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Effects of dietary n−3 fatty acid‐enriched chicken eggs on plasma and tissue cholesterol and fatty acid composition of rats
Author(s) -
Jiang Zhirong,
Sim Jeong S.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/bf02536476
Subject(s) - yolk , polyunsaturated fatty acid , arachidonic acid , food science , docosahexaenoic acid , cholesterol , eicosapentaenoic acid , linoleic acid , weanling , fatty acid , chemistry , biochemistry , biology , endocrinology , enzyme
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of feeding n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)‐enriched chicken eggs on plasma and liver cholesterol levels and fatty acid composition in rats. Eggs were collected from laying hens fed diets containing 10% flax seed (Hn−3), 12% sunflower seed (Hn−6), or wheat and soybean meal control (CON). Yolk powders were prepared and fed at the 15% level to weanling female Sprague‐Dawley rats for 28 days. Consumption of n−3 PUFA‐enriched yolks significantly reduced both plasma and liver total cholesterol. Liver total lipids and phospholipids of rats fed Hn−3 diet were enriched with linolenic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids with a concomitant reduction of arachidonic acid in liver phospholipids. The plasma cholesterol of rats fed yolk powders enriched with n−6 PUFA (mainly linoleic acid) was reduced to the same extent as in those fed the n−3 enriched, but the liver cholesterol was significantly increased, indicating differential effects of dietary n−3 and n−6 PUFA. The results demonstrated that the cholesterolemic and tissue lipid modulating properties of chicken eggs could be modified in a favorable way by altering the fatty acid composition of yolk lipids through manipulation of laying hen diets.