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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 1845

Jean H. Robin; Effect of diets containing gamma-linolenic acid on n-6 highly unsaturated fatty acid content of rotifer (Brachionus plicatilis). Hydrobiologia 313/314:185-190, 1995

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The effect of various diets containing linolenic and/or gamma-linolenic acids was studied on n-6 fatty acid composition of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis. The rotifer's abilities for transformations of n-6 fatty acids were evaluated. Diets containing only linolenic acid as n-6 fatty acid induced low levels of other n-6 fatty acids in rotifers while a diet containing also gamma-linolenic acid to led to substantial amounts of di homo gamma-linolenic acid in the rotifers through elongation. Desaturation of gamma-linolenic acid to gamma linolenic appears to be the limiting factor of n-6 highly unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis by the rotifer. Two sets of experiments were compared using different techniques and different sources of gamma-linolenic acid: Spirulina in inert food or borage oil in emulsion with baker's yeast. Rotifers fed with inert diet with Spirulina contained arachidonic acid while those fed with borage oil had very low arachidonic content. High level of n-3 fatty acids incorporated into the diets seemed to exert inhibitory effects on n-6 transformation rate.