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Exploring Sustainable Alternatives to Marine Oils With Echium and Ahiflower Oils

NCT07289919 · Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 15

Last updated 2025-12-17

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This randomized, single-blind, crossover clinical trial aims to evaluate Echium oil and Ahiflower® oil as sustainable, plant-based alternatives to marine oils for omega-3 supplementation. Although fish oil is the primary dietary source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), its use as a dietary supplementation presents several drawbacks, including high cost, potential contamination, limited global supply, and sustainability concerns. Echium and Ahiflower oils are naturally rich in stearidonic acid (SDA), a metabolic intermediate that bypasses the rate-limiting Δ6-desaturase step in the omega-3 pathway, potentially enhancing the conversion to EPA.

Fifteen participants will undergo three 8-week intervention phases-Echium oil (15 g/day), Ahiflower oil (15 g/day), or EPA capsules (2.34 g/day)-separated by four-week washout periods. Blood samples will be collected before and after each phase to measure fatty acid profiles in plasma, plasma fractions, and erythrocytes using GC-MS. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters will also be assessed. The study seeks to determine whether SDA-rich plant oils can effectively increase EPA levels in humans and potentially reduce the reliance on marine oils for cardiovascular health benefits.

Conditions

  • Cardiovascular (CV) Risk
  • Atheroscleroses
  • Inflamation
  • Omega 3 Fatty Acids
  • Supplement

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Echium oil

Participants consume 15 g/day of Echium oil, incorporated into meals, during one 8-week phase.

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Ahiflower oil

Participants consume 15 g/day of Ahiflower® oil, incorporated into meals, during one 8-week phase.

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

EPA capsules

Participants consume three EPA capsules daily (totaling 2.34 g/day), taken with meals, during one 8-week phase.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Sao Paulo

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
30 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-05-26
Primary Completion
2026-03-05
Completion
2026-12-31

Countries

  • Brazil

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07289919 on ClinicalTrials.gov