γ-Cyclodextrin Co-Ingestion Enhances the Bioavailability of Perilla Oil, Regardless of Inclusion Complex Formation

Perilla oil, a plant-derived lipid rich in α-linolenic acid (ALA), has demonstrated enhanced bioavailability when administered as an inclusion complex with γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD). Crucially, it remains unclear whether this enhancement requires complex formation or can be achieved simply by co-ingestion. To address this, we compared the effects of a γ-CD-perilla oil inclusion complex to the effects of a physical mixture of the two on the plasma fatty acid profiles of rats fed these preparations for four weeks. Both treatment groups showed significant alterations in plasma fatty acid composition compared to the control group. Notably, our results indicated no significant differences between the inclusion complex and physical mixture groups. These findings suggest that γ-CD facilitates the intestinal absorption of perilla oil through co-ingestion, irrespective of its complexation status. This highlights the potential of γ-CD as a practical and effective delivery aid for improving the bioavailability of ALA-rich oils. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and their applicability to human nutrition.