Flaxseed Oil Effectively Reduces the Risk of Development of Atherosclerosis in Rats Fed on High Cholesterol Diet

Background: The quantity and type of dietary fatty acids play an important role in the risk development of cardiovascular disease.

Aims: The current study was designed to investigate fatty acid profile of flaxseed oil (FO) and assessment the possible cardiovascular protective potentials of FO on Sprague-Dawley rats fed on high cholesterol diet (HCD) for 12 weeks and explores the possible mechanism of action.

Methodology: Fatty acid profile of FO was investigated by Gas Chromatography- Flame Ionization Detector (GC/FID). Animals were divided randomly into equal five groups as follows: Group 1: fed on the basal diet and served as control group. Group 2: fed on HCD for 12 weeks. Group 3-4: fed on HCD along with FO at two doses of 270 and 540 mg/Kg b.w/day, respectively. Group 5: fed on HCD and received a human equivalent dose of rosuvastatin, approved drug that slow plaque buildup in arteries.

Results: GC/FID analysis revealed that FO has a unique and healthy fatty acid profile with 67.4 percent as α-linolenic acid (ALA), giving a very favorable omega-6:omega-3 ratio‎ of 0.147:1. HCD is effective in triggering hyperlipidemia with elevation of serum myocardial diagnostic enzymes, and enhancement of myocardial inflammatory response and alteration in the redox state. However, daily co-administration of FO at two doses and HCD for 12 weeks significantly preserved all these biochemical changes in dose dependent manner. The histopathology examination of the aortic tissue was in parallel with the biochemical results. This beneficial cardioprotective effect was more pronounced in rosuvastatin followed by FO at a dose of 540 mg/Kg/day, which equivalent to human recommended doses of 6 g of flaxseed oil containing 4.04 g of ALA supplements per day. Histological examination of aortic tissues supports our biochemical results.

Conclusion: Flaxseed oil enriched with ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid effectively reduces the risk development of atherosclerosis in a dose dependent manner in rats through anti-inflammatory mechanism. Further studies still needed to standardize the flaxseed oil to justify its use in a suitable pharmaceutical form to choose the appropriate dose for human.