Goat milk fat blends promote conversion of ALA to DHA in rats

This study investigated the effects and mechanisms of different fats on the conversion of “Alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3, ALA) to docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3, DHA)” in female and male SD rats. The results showed that compared with the control group, the number of platform crossings in the water maze experiment in the goat milk fat group significantly increased, and the contents of DHA and the expression of ALA-DHA converting enzyme in plasma and brain tissue both increased. We believe that goat milk fat promotes the conversion of ALA to DHA in the body and increases the content of DHA in plasma by increasing the expression of key enzymes in the ALA-DHA conversion pathway. The mixture of goat milk fat and ALA can increase the expression of the DHA transporter MFSD2a, thereby increasing the DHA content in the cerebral cortex and ultimately enhancing the learning and memory ability of rats. • Goat's milk fat improve learning and memory ability in both female and male rats. • Goat's milk fat increases the content of ALA and DHA in plasma and brain tissues. • Goat's milk fat can promote the expression of DHA transportase. • Goat's milk fat enhances ALA-to-DHA conversion.