Abstract:
The protective effect on cardiovascular disease of many nutrients including omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) is well established but it has not been investigated this effect in lecithin yet. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of lecithin which were extracted from fishmeal (LE-FM) containing with high n-3 PUFAs, e.g., C20:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 and low n-6 PUFAs, e.g., C18:2n-6 and C20:4n-6, soybean lecithin (LE-SB) and mixed LE-FM and LE-SB (w/w) in ratios of 1:1 (LE-FS 1:1) and 1:2 (LE-FS 1:2) on lipid profiles in normal rats. For the phospholipids analysis, LE-FM and LE-SB contained phosphatidylcholine (PC) 47.3% and 36.2%, phosphatidylinositol (PI) 17.9% and 46.3%, sphingomyelin (SM) 22.9% and 0% C18:2n-6 1.06% and 54.83%, C18:3n-3 0.37% and 4.93%, C20:5n-3 5.2% and 0% and C22:6n-3 21.11% and 0%, respectively. After 8 weeks administration of each lecihin, no change in plasma lipids was observed in normal rats. However, the group treated with LE-FM and LE-SB significantly decreased VLDL-TG/HDL-TG ratio when compared to control group, indicating that the rate of metabolite of TG-rich lipoprotein increased in the blood circulation. Moreover, VLDL and LDL particles size in normal rats treated with lecithin were decreased when compared to control group. In addition, HDL particles size in normal rats treated with lecithin was also decreased except HDL size of LE-SB group was increased when compared to control group. Such different effects were possibly influenced by dissimilarity of phospholipids subspecies: SM and PI in lecithin. In case of PUFAs, the ratio of serie-3 to serie-2 eicosanoid precursor fatty acids: C20:5n-3 + C22:6n-3 / C18:2n-6 + C20:2n-6 in plasma of normal rats treated with LE-FM was increased when compared to LE-SB group. These findings indicated that LE-FM had the protective effect on thrombogenicity and cardiovascular disease. In conclusion, lecithin supplementation could be the beneficial effects to metabolism of plasma TG-rich lipoproteins.
