Incorporation of linoleic acid into human gingival lipids in vivo

Aim: To demonstrate that linoleic acid, a constituent of sunflower oil, can become incorporated into human gingival tissue after application in vivo and, in so doing, ‘nourish’ human gingiva. Method: 14C-linoleic acid was topically applied to discrete gingival sites of healthy adult male volunteers. Tissue was recovered by biopsy at intervals up to 48 hours after administration and analysed for the presence of radiolabel in the lipid species using high performance thin layer chromatography with selected lipids further analysed using gas chromatography. Results: Incorporation of the 14C-radiolabel into human gingival lipids was demonstrated at 4 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours after topical application of 14C-linoleic acid. Conclusion: Topical application of free-fatty acids to gingival surfaces results in their absorption and localised incorporation into the tissue lipids of healthy volunteers.