A mixed cell-culture and mouse study found that Ahiflower oil, a plant-based omega-3 source, reduced markers of endothelial inflammation, blood lipids, and platelet clotting activity at levels comparable to fish oil.
Researchers have published findings showing that Ahiflower oil, a stearidonic acid-rich plant oil marketed as a vegan omega-3 alternative, improved markers of endothelial function, blood lipid levels, and clotting activity in human cell cultures and three separate mouse models, with several effects comparable to or exceeding those of fish oil.¹,
The study, led by Kyoung-Il Oh and colleagues and published in the Journal of Functional Foods, gives ingredient suppliers and finished product manufacturers new preclinical evidence to weigh as interest grows in plant-sourced omega-3 ingredients that avoid marine sourcing and supply chain concerns tied to fish oil.
The research combined an in vitro component, using human endothelial cells stimulated with the inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha and treated with Ahiflower oil against a fish oil comparator, with three in vivo mouse models.¹
In a 12-week high-fat diet model, a 7-day acute hyperlipidemia model induced by the detergent poloxamer-407, and a 7-day carrageenan-induced thrombosis model, male mice received oral Ahiflower oil doses of 200 to 400 mg per kilogram daily, compared against fish oil at 200 milligrams per kilogram daily in the hyperlipidemia and thrombosis models.¹
Endpoints included plasma lipid levels, liver enzymes, aortic expression of adhesion molecules and endothelial nitric oxide synthase, platelet aggregation, and tail-bleeding time.
In the cell-culture model, the highest Ahiflower concentration reduced the inflammatory adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 by 60% and 39%, respectively, while increasing nitric oxide production by 70% relative to inflamed, untreated cells.¹
n the high-fat diet mouse model, the highest dose was associated with a 25% reduction in plasma triglycerides, a 44% reduction in LDL cholesterol, and a 53% increase in HDL cholesterol after 12 weeks, alongside reduced liver enzyme levels.¹ In the acute hyperlipidemia and thrombosis models, Ahiflower oil reduced platelet aggregation by 38% and 44%, respectively, comparable to the fish oil comparator dosed at half the amount.¹
One notable secondary finding involved tail-bleeding time, which increased 60% in the high-fat diet model at the highest dose, an effect the study authors interpreted as reduced clotting tendency rather than bleeding risk.
"These results suggest that Ahiflower oil may be a promising plant-derived omega-3 candidate for mitigating endothelial dysfunction and thrombotic risk under hyperlipidemic and inflammatory conditions," the authors wrote, adding that the data "suggest that Ahiflower oil may help to normalize a hypercoagulable state rather than induce anticoagulation," distinguishing it from effects sometimes associated with higher-dose fish oil.¹
The authors calculated a human-equivalent dose of roughly 1.0 to 2.59 g per day for a 60 to 80 kg adult, consistent with typical nutritional omega-3 supplementation levels.¹
The lipid and cardiovascular effects reported align directionally with a 2023 dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in the Journal of the American Heart Association, which found omega-3 fatty acid intake broadly associated with reduced triglycerides and, at some doses, modest changes in LDL cholesterol in human subjects.2
That established human evidence base is specific to omega-3 fatty acids generally rather than to Ahiflower oil itself, and no human trial of Ahiflower oil's effect on lipids, endothelial function, or clotting was cited in the release.
The findings come from cultured endothelial cells and three short-duration mouse models rather than human trials, and mouse doses do not translate in a strictly 1:1 way to human dosing despite the authors' equivalent-dose estimate.
Manufacturers considering Ahiflower oil for cardiovascular or metabolic health formulations should treat this research as mechanistic, preclinical support rather than clinical evidence of efficacy or safety in people with dyslipidemia or clotting disorders.
References
1. Oh KI, Jeong J, Bae MH, et al. Beneficial effects of Ahiflower (Buglossoides arvensis) oil on hyperlipidemia and thrombosis. J Funct Foods. 2026;144:107449. doi:10.1016/j.jff.2026.107449
2. Wang T, Zhang X, Zhou N, Shen Y, Li B, Chen BE, Li X. Association between omega-3 fatty acid intake and dyslipidemia: a continuous dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023;12(11):e029512. doi:10.1161/JAHA.123.029512
