Response of (n-3) and (n-6) fatty acids in piglet brain, liver and plasma to increasing, but low, fish oil supplementation of formula.
Addition of fish oils to infant formula provides (n-3) long-chain polyenoic fatty acids (LCP), specifically 22:6(n-3), to infants fed formula rather than human milk. Most fish oils, however, contain high levels of 20:5(n-3) and low (n-6) LCP. These studies determined the brain total, synaptic plasma membrane phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine, and plasma and liver phospholipid fatty acids of piglets fed from birth to 15 d with formula containing (percent fatty acids) 34% 18:2(n-6), 0.8% 18:3(n-3) and 0, 2 or 6 g/L menhaden oil, or sow milk. The brain 22:6(n-3) was higher and 22:4(n-6) lower in piglets fed 6 g/L menhaden oil compared with sow milk. Brain levels of 20:5(n-3) did not increase, or levels of 20:4(n-6) decrease, with increasing dietary (n-3) LCP. A diet concentration-dependent increase in 20:5(n-3) and decrease in 20:4(n-6) (P less than 0.0001) in liver phospholipid showed no evidence of maximum saturation or depletion, respectively, over the range of (n-3) LCP intake studied. The fish oil supplementation was effective in supplying 22:6(n-3) to the developing brain. The accompanying increase in 20:5(n-3) and decrease in 20:4(n-6), important eicosanoid precursors, in plasma and liver phospholipid show the need for caution in the use of fish oils low in (n-6) LCP as a source of (n-3) LCP for infant formula.
Arbuckle
L D
LD
Department of Human Nutrition, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Rioux
F M
FM
Mackinnon
M J
MJ
Hrboticky
N
N
Innis
S M
SM
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004032:Diet; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005526:Food, Formulated; D008892:Milk / Q000032:analysis; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D013552:Swine; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D005227:Fatty Acids; D005395:Fish Oils; D010743:Phospholipids