A Transgenic Camelina sativa Seed Oil Effectively Replaces Fish Oil as a Dietary Source of Eicosapentaenoic Acid in Mice123

Background: Fish currently supplies only 40% of the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) required to allow all individuals globally to meet the minimum intake recommendation of 500 mg/d. Therefore, alternative sustainable sources are needed. Objective: The main objective was to investigate the ability of genetically engineered Camelina sativa (20% EPA) oil (CO) to enrich tissue EPA and DHA relative to an EPA-rich fish oil (FO) in mammals. Methods: Six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed for 10 wk either a palm oil–containing control (C) diet or diets supplemented with EPA-CO or FO, with the C, low-EPA CO (COL), high-EPA CO (COH), low-EPA FO (FOL), and high-EPA FO (FOH) diets providing 0, 0.4, 3.4, 0.3, and 2.9 g EPA/kg diet, respectively. Liver, muscle, and brain were collected for fatty acid analysis, and blood glucose and serum lipids were quantified. The expression of selected hepatic genes involved in EPA and DHA biosynthesis and in modulating their cellular impact was determined. Results: Theoilswerewell tolerated,with significantly greaterweight gain in theCOHandFOHgroups relative to theCgroup (P< 0.001). Significantly lower (36–38%) blood glucose concentrationswere evident in the FOH and COHmice relative to Cmice (P < 0.01).HepaticEPAconcentrationswerehigher inall EPAgroups relative to theCgroup (P<0.001),withconcentrationsof0.0,0.4, 2.9, 0.2, and 3.6 g/100 g liver total lipids in the C, COL, COH, FOL, and FOHgroups, respectively. Comparable dose-independent enrichmentsofliverDHAwereobservedinmicefedCOandFOdiets(P<0.001).RelativetotheCgroup,lowerfattyaciddesaturase 1 (Fads1) expression (P < 0.005) was observed in the COH and FOH groups. Higher fatty acid desaturase 2 (Fads2), peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor a (Ppara), and peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor g (Pparg) (P < 0.005) expressions were inducedbyCO.Noimpactof treatmenton liverXreceptora (Lxra)orsterol regulatoryelement-bindingprotein1c(Srebp1c)wasevident. Conclusions: Oil from transgenic Camelina is a bioavailable source of EPA in mice. These data provide support for the future assessment of this oil in a human feeding trial. J Nutr 2016;146:227–35.