Structured lipids improve fat absorption in normal and malabsorbing rats

The presence of medium-chain fatty acids in dietary fatty acid as well as the triacylglycerol structure may influence the absorption and lymphatic transport of fatty acids. We compared the lymphatic transport and recovery of fatty acids from four intragastrically administered fats based on rapeseed oil and decanoic acid in two rat models of normal absorption and malabsorption, respectively. The fats were: 1) a fat with a regiospecific structure, 2) a similar fat but with a random distribution of fatty acids in the triacylglycerol molecule, 3) a physical mixture of tridecanoin and rapeseed oil and 4) rapeseed oil as control. Lymph samples were collected for 24 h. Significantly higher recoveries were observed of total fatty acids, oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid from the specific oil in malabsorbing rats and of linoleic acid in normal rats fed specific oil compared with those fed rapeseed oil. Furthermore, the recoveries of oleic acid and linolenic acid from the specific oil in normal rats were higher than those from the other oils. In malabsorbing rats, the transport of all fats was approximately 90% less than that of normal rats. The present study demonstrates improved hydrolysis and absorption of the specific oil compared with the other oils examined both in rats with normal absorption and in rats with malabsorption.