INFLUENCE OF DIETARY LIPIDS ON FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION OF NERVOUS MEMBRANES (MYELIN AND SYNAPTOSOMES) IN RATS

The present investigation was designed to evaluate the comparative effects of the intake of a mixture of vegetable oils (peanut and rapeseed oils, 1:1) or salmon oil on the fatty acid relative composition of myelin and synaptosomes in rats. On the second generation of Wistar rats fed semipurified diets containing 6% (wt/wt) vegetable oils mixture or salmon oil, brain membranes were isolated and the relative fatty acid composition was determined by gas-liquid chromatography. The results demonstrate that the fatty acid composition of myelin and synaptosomes was influenced by dietary oils. Brain membranes of rats fed salmon oil exhibited significantly lower n-6/n-3 ratio in relation to animals fed vegetable oils mixture, with an increment in the n-3 content. The results also indicate that the degree of unsaturation of myelin and synaptosomes was kept constant, independently of the dietary fat source.