Can oils derived from genetically-modified plants replace fish oil as a source of long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the human diet?

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Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), obtained from oily fish have established health benefits. Marine fish stocks cannot meet increasing global demands for EPA and DHA. Transgenic plant oils (TPO) enriched in EPA+DHA are a potential sustainable and scaleable alternative to oily fish. However, their effectiveness as a replacement for oily fish and fish oil (FO) supplements has not been tested in humans. The project will determine the bioavailability and effect on health-related outcomes of EPA and DHA provided as TPO compared to FO. The project comprises two human studies.

Study 1: Do differences in positional isomerisation of EPA and DHA in TPO and FO affect their acute relative bioavailability? Men and women aged 18 to 30 years or 50 to 65 years (n=10/group) will take part in a randomised, double blind, crossover (RDBC) 8 hour postprandial study. They will consume EPA+DHA (450 mg) as TPO or FO. The primary outcomes will be plasma EPA+DHA, inflammatory cytokine concentrations, and lipoprotein size and concentration during the 8 hour postprandial period.

Study 2: Characterisation of the longer-term accumulation of EPA+DHA. Men and women as above will take part in a RDBC supplementation study. Subjects will take EPA+DHA (450 mg/day) as either TPO or FO for 8 weeks, and then take the other oil after 6 weeks washout. Blood samples will be collected at the start and end of each period. The primary outcomes will be EPA+DHA concentrations in blood, leukocytes and erythrocytes, lipoprotein size and concentration, plasma inflammatory cytokine concentrations, leukocyte activation in vitro and expression of the T cell transcriptome.

This project will provide robust information that will inform government policy on transgenic crops and on the marine environment, and will have important implications for the dietary supplement and pharmaceutical industries, and for UK nutritional recommendations.

The findings of this project will have important implications for capacity to meet national and global recommendations for consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenic acid (DHA), in order to deliver the health benefits that are associated with these fatty acids. Thus, this project will benefit stakeholders and interested groups in both the public and commercial sectors.
UK Government: The UK government has made recommendations for oily fish consumption in order to ensure adequate EPA and DHA intake by the general population. Currently these recommendations cannot be met because the fish stocks on which supply of EPA and DHA depends are declining and so supply of these fatty acids is unsustainable. Furthermore, consumption of oily fish in the UK is relatively low. This project will deliver key evidence as to whether transgenic technology in which the UK government has invested can provide adequate EPA and DHA for the UK population in a form that is sustainable, scalable and overcomes the concerns about palatability that limit consumption of oily fish. This project will also inform debate about the use of GM crops and hence be of importance to policy makers both within the UK and the European Union.
Biotechnology Industry: Plant biotechnology has transformed agriculture across the globe, and currently 17% of the total annual harvest is GM. However, there is a strong need for new traits which have a consumer-benefit, both in terms of public acceptance and also fiscal value. This novel omega-3 trait represents the vanguard of such second-generation GM crops, and will reinvigorate the entire sector.
Pharmaceutical Industry: The pharmaceutical industry is the major growth sector for the use of fish oil products. The availability of EPA+DHA-based pharmaceuticals is likely to become limited as fish stock decline. Demonstration that oil from transgenic plants can replace fish oil can provide an alternative, sustainable source of EPA+DHA to fish will facilitate the continued use and development of omega-3-based pharmaceuticals.
Dietary Supplements Industry: Omega-3 containing dietary supplements are widely used (annual UK sales of over £110 million) but the industry relies largely upon the diminishing supply of fish-derived oils. The availability of EPA+DHA-containing oils of plant origin that have demonstrated ability to increase omega-3 status in humans will provide an alternative, sustainable source of EPA+DHA to fish which will assure the continued supply of omega-3-based supplements.
UK economy: The findings of this project are likely to benefit the UK economy through positive impacts on the key industries listed above. Such benefits are likely to be sustainable and will place the UK in a globally advantageous position by being first to show that EPA+DHA from transgenic plants can replace fish oil in the human diet. Production of this transgenic oil on a commercial scale will also generate employment for the UK workforce.
UK Population: Chronic disease is major challenge to healthily ageing, in particular conditions associated with inflammation as well as cardiovascular disease. EPA and DHA have been shown consistently to ameliorate such conditions and so are potentially important in promoting health during ageing. However, perceived unpalatability and cost limit EPA and DHA consumption and so constrain their use to promote healthy ageing. Transgenic plant oil containing EPA and DHA is not associated with the palatability concerns attributed to oily fish and, if produced in sufficient quantities, is likely to be a cheaper source of EPA+DHA than fish oil. Thus if this project shows that EPA+DHA-containing transgenic oil is at least as effective as fish oil in raising EPA and DHA status and in changing markers associated with cardiovascular inflammatory disease, then it is likely to be a more acceptable means of improving the health of the UK population.