TY - JOUR
T1 - The sources, synthesis and biological actions of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in red meat
T2 - An overview
AU - Ponnampalam, Eric N.
AU - Sinclair, Andrew J.
AU - Holman, Benjamin W.B.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors are grateful to the support of their corresponding organisations, specifically Agriculture Victoria and NSW Department of Primary Industries. The first author (Eric N Ponnampalam) wishes to acknowledge Andrew J Sinclair?s contribution as an adviser and mentor in his early scientific research career development (year 1994?2000) in the area covering the nutritional management of omega-3 fatty acids in ruminants for better production aspects and animal health and wellbeing. Sinclair is internationally recognised and published his research in Nature four decades ago (Rivers, Sinclair and Crawford [16]) reporting on the importance of omega-3 fatty acids for a healthy life.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - The maximisation of available resources for animal production, food security and mainte-nance of human–animal wellbeing is important for an economically viable, resilient and sustainable future. Pasture and forage diets are common sources of short chain omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), while grain-based and feedlot diets are common sources of short chain omega-6 (n-6) PUFA. Animals deposit n-3 and n-6 PUFA as a result of their direct consumption, as feeds or by synthesis of longer chain PUFA from short chain FA precursors in the body via desaturation and elongation processes. Research conducted over the last three decades has determined that the consumption of n-3 PUFA can improve the health and wellbeing of humans through its biological, biochemical, pathological and pharmacological effects. n-6 PUFA also play an important role in human health, but when consumed at high levels, are potentially harmful. Research shows that current consumption of n-6 PUFA by the human population is high due to their meal choices and the supplied food types. If consumption of n-3 PUFA from land-and marine-based foods improves human health, it is likely that these same food types can improve the health and wellbeing of livestock (farm animals) by likewise enhancing the levels of the n-3 PUFA in their circulatory and tissue sys-tems. Modern agricultural systems and advanced technologies have fostered large scale animal and crop production systems. These allow for the utilisation of plant concentrate-based diets to increase the rate of animal growth, often based on economics, and these diets are believed to contribute to unfavourable FA intakes. Knowledge of the risks associated with consuming foods that have greater concentration of n-6 PUFA may lead to health-conscious consumers avoiding or minimising their intake of animal-and plant-based foods. For this reason, there is scope to produce food from plant and animal origins that contain lesser amounts of n-6 PUFA and greater amounts of n-3 PUFA, the outcome of which could improve both animal and human health, wellbeing and resilience to disease.
AB - The maximisation of available resources for animal production, food security and mainte-nance of human–animal wellbeing is important for an economically viable, resilient and sustainable future. Pasture and forage diets are common sources of short chain omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), while grain-based and feedlot diets are common sources of short chain omega-6 (n-6) PUFA. Animals deposit n-3 and n-6 PUFA as a result of their direct consumption, as feeds or by synthesis of longer chain PUFA from short chain FA precursors in the body via desaturation and elongation processes. Research conducted over the last three decades has determined that the consumption of n-3 PUFA can improve the health and wellbeing of humans through its biological, biochemical, pathological and pharmacological effects. n-6 PUFA also play an important role in human health, but when consumed at high levels, are potentially harmful. Research shows that current consumption of n-6 PUFA by the human population is high due to their meal choices and the supplied food types. If consumption of n-3 PUFA from land-and marine-based foods improves human health, it is likely that these same food types can improve the health and wellbeing of livestock (farm animals) by likewise enhancing the levels of the n-3 PUFA in their circulatory and tissue sys-tems. Modern agricultural systems and advanced technologies have fostered large scale animal and crop production systems. These allow for the utilisation of plant concentrate-based diets to increase the rate of animal growth, often based on economics, and these diets are believed to contribute to unfavourable FA intakes. Knowledge of the risks associated with consuming foods that have greater concentration of n-6 PUFA may lead to health-conscious consumers avoiding or minimising their intake of animal-and plant-based foods. For this reason, there is scope to produce food from plant and animal origins that contain lesser amounts of n-6 PUFA and greater amounts of n-3 PUFA, the outcome of which could improve both animal and human health, wellbeing and resilience to disease.
KW - Agricultural practices
KW - Animal production
KW - Consumer guidelines
KW - Fat digestion and absorption
KW - Fatty acid profile
KW - Human health
KW - Nutrition
KW - Preservation
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85108437732
U2 - 10.3390/foods10061358
DO - 10.3390/foods10061358
M3 - Article
C2 - 34208278
AN - SCOPUS:85108437732
SN - 2304-8158
VL - 10
JO - Foods
JF - Foods
IS - 6
M1 - 1358
ER -
SDG 2 Zero Hunger
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 14 Life Below Water