Investigations on rapeseed oil toxicology

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Toxicology
• Human Nutrition

Background:

• Rapeseed oil contains erucic acid, a fatty acid whose presence and effects in humans have been a subject of study.
• Previous research has raised concerns about the potential health implications of erucic acid ingestion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the exposure levels of the Italian population to erucic acid from rapeseed oil ingestion.
• To investigate the presence of erucic acid and its metabolites in human tissues.
• To evaluate the effects of rapeseed oil consumption on organ deposition and liver metabolism in mice.

Main Methods:

• Gas chromatography was used to analyze serum, adipose tissue, and myocardium from Italian subjects for erucic acid and its metabolites.
• Studies on mice involved feeding them a diet high in rapeseed oil and analyzing organ tissues for fatty acid deposition and liver metabolism.

Main Results:

• Erucic acid was detected in the serum (40/70 subjects), adipose tissue (16/16 subjects), and myocardium (13/14 subjects) of Italian individuals.
• Behenic acid, a probable erucic acid metabolite, was also found in human serum.
• In mice, erucic and gadoleic acids deposited significantly in the heart and liver (approx. 10% of total fatty acids) and decreased hexobarbital metabolism in the liver.

Conclusions:

• The study demonstrates significant exposure of the Italian population to erucic acid, likely from rapeseed oil consumption, with detectable levels in serum, adipose tissue, and myocardium.
• Animal studies confirm the deposition of erucic acid and its metabolites in organs and suggest potential adverse effects on liver function.