[Incorporation of squid oil fatty acids to plasma lipoproteins in rats].
There is clinical and epidemiologic evidence that long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 series, (AGPI n-3): eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA 20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3) decrease the incidence of heart attack, coronary restenosis and also platelet aggregation, leukotriene synthesis and arterial pressure. They also decrease significantly the severity of atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic models. Some of these results are obtained after daily intake of 3g or more of AGPI n-3. Marine oils are very rich in AGPI n-3 but rarely the amount is larger than 20%. Due to this fact there is great interest in the possibility of obtaining concentrates of AGPI n-3 with a high coefficient of intestinal absorption. EPA and DHA ethyl esters are able to be concentrated over 90% but their absorption is incomplete. For the moment AGPI n-3 can be concentrated as free fatty acids (AGL). Squid oil (Illex argentinus) is one of the natural oils with the highest concentration of AGPI n-3 (31 to 34%). In this paper, we have studied the incorporation of AGPI n-3 to plasmatic lipoproteins of rats fed during 28 days with diets supplemented with squid oil (Ac) or AGL obtained from the same oil. Both groups were compared with a control group (C, n = 5) fed on a standard diet. The composition of oil fatty acids and of AGL is almost identical: EPA 13.6% and DHA 17.7% (Table 1). Daily intake of AGPI n-3 was very similar: in the Ac group (n = 7) 80 mg/day and in the AGL group (n = 7) 90 mg/day.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)