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2024 Technical Program

Health and Nutrition

Session: Milk Polar Lipids, and Special FA (SCFA, BCFA, etc)

Dietary pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) increases early growth rate and induces synthesis of omega 8 odd chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in EFA deficient rats

Monday, April 29, 2024
2:35 PM – 2:55 PM EDT
Room: 524b
Pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) is an odd chain fatty acid (OCFA), mainly found in dairy products. Its physiological and nutritional effects are still unknown, yet some evidences suggest it might be beneficial to human health. We therefore questioned the potential essentiality of this fatty acid (FA).
We first investigated the metabolic conversions of C15:0 in vitro in Fao cells, showing that two main OCFAs metabolites were formed: C17:0 and C17:1 n-8. Furthermore, two original unsaturated OCFA families were identified: w6 and w8 with monounsaturated 15 and 17 carbon length FAs (C15:1 n-6, C17:1 n-6 and C17:1 n-8), respectively.

Regarding the synthesis of those unsaturated w6 and w8 OCFAs, we tested in vivo the effect of a C15:0 supplementation on essential fatty acid (EFA) deficient Wistar rats. Female rats were fed an EFA deficient diet 2 weeks before mating, then during pregnancy and weaning. Weaned pups continued the EFA deficient diet, or were switched to a diet supplemented with either C15:0 or linoleic acid (LA) for 11 weeks. A control group of rats fed with EFA during the whole study was implemented. Since LA deficiency is known to induce growth delay, weights were measured throughout the experiment and FA content in collected tissues were analysed to evaluate biochemical markers of the deficiency.

As expected, EFA deficient rats showed significant growth retardation, compared to control rats. Supplementation of C15:0 or C18:2 n-6 at weaning led to significantly increasing early weaned rats’ rate growth compared to deficient animals. Furthermore, C15:0 presence in diet induced the synthesis of odd chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the w8 family: C19:3, C21:3 and C21:4 n-8.

These results suggest dietary C15:0 partly compensates for induced LA deficiency symptoms (growth) possibly through the synthesis of odd chain w8 PUFAs. Further investigations are needed to better understand C15:0 physiological roles.