Absorption of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in Wax‐Ester Rich Oil from the Marine Crustacean, Calanus finmarchicus, in Healthy Men and Women
Authors: Cook Chad M , Larsen Terje , Kern Hua J , Derrig Linda D , Kelley Kathleen M , Tande Kurt S 
Published: November 2023

Background

Short‐term studies indicate the absorption of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may differ depending on the source and chemical composition of the fatty acids (e.g., bound as triacylglycerols [TAG], ethyl esters, or phospholipids). A novel source of EPA and DHA for human consumption is oil from the marine copepod Calanus finmarchicus, which contains >85% of the fatty acids present as wax esters bound predominantly to aliphatic long‐chain monounsaturated alcohols [mostly 20:1(n‐9) and 22:1(n‐11) alcohols], with minor amounts of TAG and other neutral lipids (<10%) and polar lipids (<5%).

Objective

This randomized, two‐period crossover study assessed the absorption kinetics of EPA and DHA from two different sources over a 72‐h period.

Methods

Eighteen healthy adults with fasting TAG concentrations <200 mg/dL were randomly assigned to receive 8 capsules containing Calanus® Oil (Calanus AS, Tromso, Norway) supplying a total of 4 g of oil providing 260 mg EPA and 156 mg/day DHA primarily as wax esters, or 1 capsule supplying 1 g of oil providing 465 mg EPA and 375 mg DHA as ethyl esters (Lovaza®, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC). Concentrations of EPA and DHA were measured in plasma over a 72 h period (t = 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h) following consumption of a single serving of each study product with an EPA‐ and DHA‐free breakfast containing ~25 g total fat.

Results

All 18 subjects completed the study and were included in an efficacy evaluable analysis. A majority were non‐Hispanic (94%), white (72%), men (n = 9), and women (n = 9) with a mean ± SEM age of 38.3 ± 2.5 y, BMI of 25.1 ± 0.6 kg/m2, and fasting TAG of 97.2 ± 10.1 mg/dL. The positive incremental area under the curve over the 72 h test period (iAUC0–72 h) for both EPA and DHA was significantly different from zero (p < 0.0001) in both test conditions, with similar findings for the iAUC‐0.5–24h and iAUC‐0.5–48h, indicating the fatty acids were absorbed from both oils. There was no difference in the plasma iAUC0–72 h for EPA+DHA, or DHA individually, after Calanus Oil supplementation compared to the ethyl ester condition; however, the iAUC0–48 h and iAUC0–72 h for plasma EPA in response to Calanus Oil were statistically significantly increased relative to the ethyl ester condition (iAUC0–48h: 381 ± 31 vs. 259 ± 39 μg*h/mL, p = 0.026; iAUC0–72h: 514 ± 47 vs. 313 ± 49 μg*h/mL, p = 0.009) due to an additional increment in plasma EPA occurring 6–8 h after study product consumption, even though the amount of EPA provided in Calanus Oil was only half (56%) of the amount of EPA provided as ethyl esters. This additional increment in plasma EPA most likely reflects delayed hydrolysis of wax esters in the alimentary tract beyond the small intestine. Both products were well‐tolerated as evidenced by no statistically significant changes in the frequency or severity of individual symptoms over the supplementation periods.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first human study to‐date examining the absorption of EPA and DHA from a wax ester rich marine oil. These data demonstrate that Calanus Oil appears to be a suitable alternative source of EPA and DHA to help meet daily intake recommendations of these nutritionally important fatty acids.

Support or Funding Information

This study was funded by Calanus AS (Tromsø, Norway)