Vegaven is a blend of plant oils including Ahiflower oil (Buglossoides arvensis), coconut oil and olive oil. A recent study by Canadian researchers directly compared Vegaven and a standard mixed-oil lipid emulsion containing fish oil (SMOFlipid) in a model of PN in neonatal piglets.
It found that the plant-based formula demonstrated distinct biological actions compared with SMOFlipid and mitigated the consequences of a ‘leaky gut’.
Professor Michael Zaugg, the lead researcher on the study, said the results open up “major opportunities in evidence-based nutrition.”
The problem with PN
PN lipid emulsions are a vital source of calories and essential fatty acids for patients who are unable to digest nutrients through their digestive system. Typically, the emulsions consist of a combination of oils, such as soybean oil, olive oil and fish oil.
While PN can be lifesaving for some patients, some lipid emulsions can increase the risk of hyperglycaemia, gut-liver inflammation and endotoxemia.
Some experimental animal studies suggest that administration of emulsions rich in long-chain n–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, as prominent in fish oil, could increase the risk of infections and reduce survival during sepsis.
The Canadian scientists therefore developed a lipid emulsion free of fish oils to discover whether a plant-based formula could improve health outcomes for patients on PN.
Vegaven appears to protect the liver from PN-related damage
Two groups of four-to-five-day-old piglets were randomized to receive either Vegaven (n=8) or SMOFlipid (n=8) via total PN for 14 days.
Vegaven was found to be well tolerated and resulted in similar gains in body weight and organ growth as compared with SMOFlipid. However, the plant-based lipid emulsion appeared to provide better protection from liver damage, hyperinsulinemia and blood stream infections.
Total PN can cause gut barrier dysfunction and increase intestinal permeability. As a result, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can leak into the bloodstream causing endotoxemia.
While there was a noticeable increase of LPS in the pancreas and brain in the SMOFlipid group, Vegaven appeared to prevent the build-up of LPS in both organs, lowering inflammation.
Distinct fatty acid profiles noted in each group
The data also showed distinct fatty acid profiles in the rapidly growing brains of Vegaven-treated and SMOFlipid-treated piglets after PN.
Arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are fatty acids which are essential for the growth and functional development of the brain in infants.
While Vegaven does not contain preformed ARA and DHA, fatty acid profiling of the brain phospholipid fractions revealed similar amounts of ARA and DHA in both groups.
“Because Vegaven contains GLA and dihomo-GLA precursors of ARA, it is possible that conversion of GLA to ARA may have occurred based on the decreasing GLA/ARA ratios from liver to brain in both the triglyceride and phospholipid fractions,” the researchers explained.
Ahiflower oil: the new frontier?
Commenting in a recent Journal of Nutrition editorial, leading lipid metabolism researcher Professor Philip Calder recalled that a previous study conducted with mice showed similar results.
“The findings of the two studies indicate superiority of the Ahiflower oil blend over pure soybean oil, pure fish oil and an oil blend that includes fish oil in these preclinical models,” he wrote. “The superiority of the Ahiflower oil-based emulsion over those containing fish oil is quite remarkable and requires explanation.”
Source: The Journal of Nutrition
2024: doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.10.047
“The Novel Lipid Emulsion Vegaven Is Well Tolerated and Elicits Distinct Biological Actions Compared With a Mixed-Oil Lipid Emulsion Containing Fish Oil: A Parenteral Nutrition Trial in Piglets”
Authors: E. Lucchinetti, et al.