The Role of Punicic Acid (c9t11c13-CLNA) in Lipid and Energy Metabolism of Mice
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Date
2009-06
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Punicic acid (c9t11c13-CLNA) is a conjugated linolenic fatty acid found at 72% concentration in
pomegranate seed oil. While research has elucidated the positive health benefits of punicic
acid’s metabolite, c9t11-CLA, little is known about the physiological effects of punicic acid (PA).
This senior honors research thesis aims to elucidate how punicic acid alters fat and energy
metabolism in a mouse model. Male C57Bl6 mice were fed diets of 0% PA, 1% PA, or 2% PA
for 4 or 16 weeks. We measured the extent to which punicic acid affected weight gain, food
intake, food efficiency, insulin sensitivity, and fatty acid composition in mice. Diets containing
increased levels of punicic acid resulted in a dose-responsive accumulation of conjugated
linolenic acid in skeletal muscle, liver, and epididymal adipose tissues. In an effort to determine
if punicic acid altered genes responsive to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma
(PPARγ), I investigated how punicic acid alters the expression of genes involved in lipid and
energy metabolism. Levels of mRNA of AP2 (FABP4), UCP1, and PPARγ were not significantly
altered in epididymal fat by dietary treatments during the 16-week feeding study, while
expression of UCP2 was significantly increased in mice fed the 2% PA diet. It remains to be
determined if punicic acid serves as a weak ligand for PPARγ. Understanding the mechanism of
punicic acid and its effects on energy metabolism may ultimately improve recommendations for
those battling obesity or the numerous diseases associated with it.
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Keywords
Punicic Acid