Bożena Króliczewska1, Dorota Miśta1, Jarosław Króliczewski2, Wojciech Zawadzki1, Rafał Kubaszewski1, Edyta Wincewicz1, Magdalena Żuk3, Jan Szopa3. 1. Department of Animal Physiology and Biostructure, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Norwida 31, PL-50-375, Wroclaw, Poland. 2. Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Joliot-Curie 14a, PL-50-383, Wroclaw, Poland. 3. Department of Genetic Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63/77, PL-51-148, Wroclaw, Poland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Flaxseed is an alternative to marine products that provide the traditional dietary sources of ω-fatty acids. A new genotype of flax, W92, is rich in natural antioxidants as well as having a reduced content of α-linolenic acid and therefore shows decreased susceptibility to fat oxidation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a diet supplemented with W92 flaxseed on hematological and biochemical blood indices. RESULTS: A positive impact of diet with the addition of flaxseed was observed on erythrocyte indices, including red blood cell (RBC), hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) values. There were no significant differences for white blood cell (WBC), total protein and glucose values. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase estimations in serum were also carried out and no obvious toxicity to the liver was shown. Moreover, a lipid profile was performed in serum samples and a decrease in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), accompanied by an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), was observed in rabbits fed flaxseed diets. CONCLUSION: Based on the results obtained, it appeared that the inclusion of a new genetically modified type of flaxseed in the diet altered cholesterol metabolism and could reduce the possibility of cardiovascular diseases. Diet enrichment with W92 flaxseed may be a solution to the health issues that are a result of improper diet in humans and animals.
BACKGROUND: Flaxseed is an alternative to marine products that provide the traditional dietary sources of ω-fatty acids. A new genotype of flax, W92, is rich in natural antioxidants as well as having a reduced content of α-linolenic acid and therefore shows decreased susceptibility to fat oxidation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a diet supplemented with W92 flaxseed on hematological and biochemical blood indices. RESULTS: A positive impact of diet with the addition of flaxseed was observed on erythrocyte indices, including red blood cell (RBC), hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) values. There were no significant differences for white blood cell (WBC), total protein and glucose values. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase estimations in serum were also carried out and no obvious toxicity to the liver was shown. Moreover, a lipid profile was performed in serum samples and a decrease in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), accompanied by an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), was observed in rabbits fed flaxseed diets. CONCLUSION: Based on the results obtained, it appeared that the inclusion of a new genetically modified type of flaxseed in the diet altered cholesterol metabolism and could reduce the possibility of cardiovascular diseases. Diet enrichment with W92 flaxseed may be a solution to the health issues that are a result of improper diet in humans and animals.