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Nutrient Requirements and Optimal Nutrition

The (n-3) Fatty Acid Dose, Independent of the (n-6) to (n-3) Fatty Acid Ratio, Affects the Plasma Fatty Acid Profile of Normal Dogs¹

² Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine; Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-4802; ³ Science and Technology Center, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Topeka, KS 66617-1587; and ⁴ Human Nutrition Research Laboratory, Department of Nutrition, School of Human Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170

^*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jean.hall{at}oregonstate.edu.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the dose of (n-3) fatty acids (FA) administered, independent of the relative ratio of (n-6) to (n-3) FA in the food, influences plasma FA composition in dogs. Healthy female, geriatric beagles (7–10 y old) were fed foods containing (n-6) to (n-3) FA ratios of either 40.0:1 or 1.4:1 for 12 wk (study 1) or 36 wk (study 2). In study 3, beagles were fed food with the same 1:1 ratio of (n-6) to (n-3) FA, but with increasing concentrations of (n-6) and (n-3) FA. Plasma FA concentrations were measured after completing the feeding studies. In studies 1 and 2, dogs fed fish oil–enriched food with a high (n-3) FA concentration had higher plasma total (n-3) FA, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentrations and lower plasma total (n-6) FA, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid concentrations than dogs fed corn oil–enriched food with a low (n-3) FA concentration (P < 0.001). Both inclusion of fish oil (P < 0.001) and increased food intake independent of treatment effects increased the plasma DHA (P = 0.05) concentration. Furthermore, constancy of the dose of (n-3) FA administered over long periods of time was necessary to maintain plasma levels of total (n-3) FA, EPA, and DHA. In study 3, up to certain dietary concentrations (6.3 g total (n-3) FA/kg food for DHA and 9.8 g total (n-3) FA/kg food for EPA), the dose of (n-3) FA administered, independent of the (n-6) to (n-3) FA ratio, determined the plasma (n-3) FA composition. Results from our studies indicate that 175 mg DHA/(kg body weight · d) is required to attain maximum plasma levels of DHA.