Plasma fatty-acid composition and antioxidant capacity in low birth-weight infants fed formula enriched with n-6 and n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from purified phospholipids.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a formula containing n-6 and n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCP) from purified phospholipids increases the content of 20:4n-6 and 22:6n-3 of plasma lipids and modifies the plasma antioxidant capacity in low-birth-weight infants.


METHODS
Seventeen infants were fed a conventional formula for low birth-weight infants (F), and 17 a formula containing n-6 and n-3 LCP from purified pig-brain phospholipids (LCP-F). Fourteen infants receiving human milk from a human milk bank were used as a reference (HM). Growth index were measured and blood samples were taken at entry and after 15 days and 30 days of feeding.


RESULTS
In infants fed LCP-F the levels of 22:6n-3 in total plasma lipids and in plasma phospholipids and triglycerides were higher than in infants fed F and closer to the levels of HM group throughout the study. Docosahexaenoic acid concentration in total plasma lipids was 3.46+/-0.19 mg/dl in infants fed LCP-F and 2.08+/-0.20 in infants fed F after 15 days of feeding (P<0.001), and 3.83+/-0.30 and 2.15+/-0.20 in infants fed LCP-F and F respectively, after 30 days of feeding (P<0.001). The concentration of 20:4n-6 in the LCP-F was significantly higher than in the F group at 15 and 30 days of feeding. Plasma antioxidant capacity did not differ significantly between the study groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Feeding low birth-weight infants a formula containing LCP phospholipids results in an increase of n-3 and n-6 LCP in plasma towards that of infants fed human milk.
Ramírez
M
M
Clínicas de Porto Alegre Hospital, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Gallardo
E M
EM
Souto
A S
AS
Weissheimer
C
C
Gil
A
A
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007225:Infant Food; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008895:Milk, Human; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood*
D000975:Antioxidants; D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D010743:Phospholipids