Exploring Sustainable Alternatives to Marine Oils With Echium and Ahiflower Oils

NCT ID: NCT07289919

Last Updated: 2025-12-17

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

15 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-05-26

Study Completion Date

2026-12-31

Brief Summary

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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.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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

Keywords

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Omega - 3 fatty acids stearidonic acid fish oil Echium oil Ahiflower oil Humans Crossover

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

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Crossover Intervention Sequence 1

All participants will receive all three interventions (Echium oil, Ahiflower® oil, and EPA capsules) in a randomized crossover sequence. Each intervention period lasts 8 weeks, followed by a 4-week washout period. Participants rotate through all treatments, ensuring within-subject comparison. In this sequence, participants begin with Echium oil, transition to EPA capsules, and complete the cycle with Ahiflower oil.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Echium oil

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

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

Ahiflower oil

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

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

EPA capsules

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

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

Crossover Intervention Sequence 2

All participants will receive all three interventions (Echium oil, Ahiflower® oil, and EPA capsules) in a randomized crossover sequence. Each intervention period lasts 8 weeks, followed by a 4-week washout period. Participants rotate through all treatments, ensuring within-subject comparison. In this sequence, participants begin with Ahiflower oil, transition to Echium oil, and complete the cycle with EPA capsules.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Echium oil

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

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

Ahiflower oil

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

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

EPA capsules

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

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

Crossover Intervention Sequence 3

All participants will receive all three interventions (Echium oil, Ahiflower® oil, and EPA capsules) in a randomized crossover sequence. Each intervention period lasts 8 weeks, followed by a 4-week washout period. Participants rotate through all treatments, ensuring within-subject comparison. In this sequence, participants begin with EPA capsules, transition to Ahiflower oil, and complete the cycle with Echium oil.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Echium oil

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

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

Ahiflower oil

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

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

EPA capsules

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

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

Interventions

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Echium oil

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

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Ahiflower oil

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

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

EPA capsules

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

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Other Intervention Names

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seed oil from Echium plantagineum Buglossoides arvensis Lithospermum arvense corn gromwell Omega-3 IPE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Inclusion criteria will include individuals of both sexes, aged 18 to 30 years, without contraindications for using fish oil or vegetable oil supplements. Women must not be pregnant or breastfeeding.

Exclusion Criteria:

* will include vegetarianism or veganism; the use of triglyceride-lowering medications or dietary supplements; consumption of fish oil or other n-3 or n-6 PUFA supplements/drugs within one month before the trial; consumption of fatty fish (salmon, herring, mackerel, albacore tuna, or sardines) more than twice a month in the month before the trial; and unwillingness to avoid PUFA supplements and seafood throughout the study period. Additional exclusions will include severe heart failure, active severe liver disease, planned coronary intervention or surgery, history of acute or chronic pancreatitis, known hypersensitivity to fish, shellfish, or capsule ingredients, and autoimmune diseases requiring immunosuppressive therapy or current systemic corticosteroid use. Other exclusion criteria will encompass active neoplasms requiring surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation within the past 12 months (patients who underwent curative surgery without further treatment in the last 12 months may be eligible); inflammatory bowel disease or chronic diarrhea; significant non-transient hematological abnormalities; renal dysfunction; severe liver disease; inability to provide informed consent; participation in another clinical trial involving an investigational agent within the past 90 days; malabsorption syndrome; recent drug or alcohol abuse; atrial fibrillation; or bleeding disorders. Adherence to the prescribed dosage will be assessed by tracking the residual oil sachets and capsules returned by participants. If fewer than 80% of the doses over the full study period are consumed, participants will be classified as non-compliant, and their data will be excluded from efficacy analyses.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

30 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Sao Paulo

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Inar Castro Erger

Full Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP)

São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Site Status

Countries

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Brazil

Other Identifiers

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85126524.0.0000.0067

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id