Fatty acid profile and effect of Plukenetia volubilis L. (sacha inchi) oil on lipid metabolism in rats fed a high-fat diet.

Abstract

Sacha inchi oil (SIO) is characterized by its high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), metabolites with beneficial properties on health. The objective was to evaluate the fatty acid (FA) profile of wild SIO and its effect on biochemical parameters of lipid metabolism under a high-fat diet. Twenty-four albino rats were grouped into groups I, II, III, and IV, which ingested ad libitum the following diets: conventional diet without supplementation (CDOS), conventional diet supplemented with SIO (CDWS), hyperlipidic diet without supplementation (HDOS), and hyperlipidic diet supplemented with SIO (HDWS) for 6 weeks. The FA content of SIO was assessed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The lipid profile was analyzed by the enzymatic-spectrophotometric method, and cytokines and lipid mediator levels were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Α-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA) constitute 82% of this oil. Two-way ANOVA showed interaction effects between diet and supplement on interleukin (IL)-10 levels, and SIO-supplemented diet significantly decreased triglycerides (TG), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), and the TG/HDL-C ratio levels. Wild SIO is high in ALA and LA. SIO supplementation reduced TG, VLDL-C, and the TG/HDL-C ratio, modulated IL-10, and slightly improved leptin, resolvin-D1 (RvD1), and IL-6 levels.