Comparison of Catabolic Rates of sn-1, sn-2, and sn-3 Fatty Acids in Triacylglycerols Using 13CO2 Breath Test in Mice

Fatty acids in triacylglycerols (TAGs) are catabolized after digestion. However, the catabolic rates of the fatty acids at the sn-1, sn-2, and sn-3 positions of TAGs have not been compared. To elucidate the differences, we studied the catabolic rates of C-13-labeled palmitic acid, oleic acid, and capric acid at the sn-1, sn-2, or sn-3 position of TAGs using isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. Specifically, we measured the C-13-to-C-12 ratio in CO, (Delta C-13 (parts per thousand)) exhaled by mice. For all analyzed fatty acids, we observed significant differences between sn-2 and other binding positions. In contrast, no significant difference was detected between the sn-1 and sn-3 positions. These results indicated that the catabolic rates of fatty acids are strongly influenced by their positions in TAGs.