Wheat aleurone polyphenols increase plasma eicosapentaenoic acid in rats

Methods : These studies were designed to assess whether wheat polyphenols (mainly ferulic acid [FA]) increased the very-long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (VLC n-3) [eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)] in rats. Wheat aleurone (WA) was used as a dietary source of wheat polyphenols. Two experiments were performed; in the first one, the rats were fed WA or control pellets (CP) in presence of linseed oil (LO) to provide alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the precursor of VLC n-3. In the second one, the rats were fed WA or CP in presence of control oil (CO) without ALA. The concentrations of phenolic acid metabolites in urine were also investigated. Results : The urinary concentration of conjugated FA increased with WA ingestion ( p <0.05). Plasma EPA increased by 25% ( p <0.05) with WA in the CO group but not in the LO group. In contrast, there was no effect of WA on plasma DHA and omega-6 fatty acids (n-6). Finally, both n-3 and n-6 in the liver remained unchanged by the WA. Conclusion : These results suggest that WA consumption has a significant effect on EPA in plasma without affecting n-6. Subsequent studies are required to examine whether these effects may explain partly the health benefits associated with whole wheat consumption. Keywords : polyphenols; wheat aleurone; very-long-chain omega-3 fatty acids; plasma; liver; rats (Published: 19 August 2014) Citation: Food & Nutrition Research 2014, 58 : 24604 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/fnr.v58.24604 Responsible Editor: Asim Duttaroy, Oslo University, Norway.