Drinkable lecithin nanovesicles to study the biological effects of individual hydrophobic macronutrients and food preferences. (30th August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chotard, Élodie; Mohammadi, Farzad; Julien, Pierre; Berthiaume, Line; Rudkowska, Iwona; Bertrand, Nicolas
• Is Part Of: Food chemistry. Volume 322(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-08-30
• Subjects: Microencapsulation -- Industrial fats -- Liposomes -- Pharmacokinetics -- Trans fatty acids; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food -- Composition -- Periodicals; 664
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.126736
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-8146

Abstract

Highlights: Lecithin vesicles can encapsulate trans-fatty acids (TFA). Encapsulated TFA are bioavailable and lecithin minimally affects plasma lipids. TFA vesicles can be used in behavioral studies to study food preferences. Encapsulated TFA are palatable to mice and compatible with long-term studies. Abstract: Fundamental nutritional studies on bioactive molecules require minimizing exposure to confounding foreign elements, like solvents. Herein, aqueous formulations of lecithin nanovesicles are proposed to study three individual trans fatty acids relevant to human nutrition: elaidic acid, trans-vaccenic acid and trans-palmitoleic acid. This proof-of-concept study describes the encapsulation of fatty acids, in vivo bioavailability, and the use of nanovesicles in behavioral experiments. The oral bioavailability of the encapsulated molecules and the selective exposure of animals to each trans-fatty acid of interest were confirmed in healthy rats. Behavioral studies also evidenced that nanovesicles can be used to evaluate the palatability of the lipids and investigate food preferences in mice. Altogether this study shows that lecithin nanovesicles offer an elegant tool to efficiently deliver hydrophobic molecules to animal models. This approach paves the way for future studies deconvoluting the nutritional effects of trans-fatty acids.