title: Influence of dietary source of docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids on their incorporation into membrane phospholipids of red blood cells in term infants.
abstract: Here we studied whether the chemical structure of dietary arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids in full-term infant diets affects their incorporation into erythrocyte membrane phospholipids. From birth to 3 months, infants were fed breast milk (n = 9) or formula milk containing arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid provided by egg phospholipids (n = 10) or by low-eicosapentaenoic acid fish oil and fungal triglycerides (n = 10). We compared the fatty acid composition of erythrocyte phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin before and after administration of the experimental diet. At 3 months, infants on formula milk showed lower concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (in phosphatidylcholine and in phosphatidylethanolamine) and arachidonic acid (in phosphatidylcholine) than those receiving breast milk. We conclude the incorporation of the two fatty acids into erythrocyte phospholipids depends mainly on the lipid composition of the diet received rather than the chemical form in which they are delivered.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Nutrició i Bromatologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Joan XXIII s/n, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sala-Vila
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campoy
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Castellote
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Palmero
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: López-Sabater
mesh_terms: D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D001682:Biological Availability; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D004531:Eggs; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids