Characterisation of Fecal Soap Fatty Acids, Calcium Contents, Bacterial Community and Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Sprague Dawley Rats Fed with Different sn-2 Palmitic Triacylglycerols Diets

PLoS One. 2016 Oct 26;11(10):e0164894. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164894. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

The structure of dietary triacylglycerols is thought to influence fatty acid and calcium absorption, as well as intestinal microbiota population of the host. In the present study, we investigated the impact of palmitic acid (PA) esterified at the sn-2 position on absorption of fatty acid and calcium and composition of intestinal microorganisms in rats fed high-fat diets containing either low sn-2 PA (12.1%), medium sn-2 PA (40.4%) or high sn-2 PA (56.3%), respectively. Fecal fatty acid profiles in the soaps were measured by gas chromatography (GC), while fecal calcium concentration was detected by ICP-MS. The fecal microbial composition was assessed using a 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology and fecal short-chain fatty acids were detected by ion chromatograph. Dietary supplementation with a high sn-2 PA fat significantly reduced total fecal contents of fatty acids soap and calcium compared with the medium or low sn-2 PA fat groups. Diet supplementation with sn-2 PA fat did not change the entire profile of the gut microbiota community at phylum level and the difference at genera level also were minimal in the three treatment groups. However, high sn-2 PA fat diet could potentially improve total short-chain fatty acids content in the feces, suggesting that high dietary sn-2 PA fat might have a beneficial effect on host intestinal health.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Diet
  • Eating / drug effects
  • Esterification
  • Fatty Acids, Volatile / biosynthesis
  • Fatty Acids, Volatile / metabolism*
  • Feces / chemistry*
  • Feces / microbiology*
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome / drug effects*
  • Intestinal Absorption / drug effects
  • Male
  • Palmitic Acid / chemistry*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Triglycerides / chemistry
  • Triglycerides / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Fatty Acids, Volatile
  • Triglycerides
  • Palmitic Acid
  • Calcium

Grants and funding

The study was funded by Wilmar (Shanghai) Biotechnology Research & Development Center Co., Ltd which is the employer of the authors. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.