title: Effects of flaxseed on rat milk creamatocrit and its contribution to offspring body growth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of flaxseed on rat milk creamatocrit and its contribution to offspring weight gain during lactation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted with 22 Lister Hooded rats divided into two groups: Control Group (CG, n = 11), which received a casein-based diet with 17% protein, and Flaxseed Group (FG, n = 11), which received a 25% flaxseed diet supplemented with 14% casein, totaling 17% protein. Food consumption was controlled per individual cage and litter size. Maternal milk creamatocrit and offspring weight variation until weaning age were also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FG was similar to CG concerning food intake (FG = 76.46±31.87 g; CG = 76.7±33.36 g; p = 0.9613) and equivalent to CG concerning litter size (FG = 4.94±2.34; CG = 5.5±3.19; p = 0.435). The same was found for milk fat content (FG = 18.4±4.76; CG = 15.3±6.03; p = 0.204) and total energy value (FG = 212.92±46.4; CG = 181.1±60; p = 0.1964). FG was similar to CG both in offspring body weight at weaning (FG = 37±6.96 g; CG = 32.6±7.5 g; p = 0.1817) and in weight gain (FG = 31.8±7.0 g; CG = 27.7±7.5 g; p = 0.2104).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A total of 25% flaxseed promoted an adequate offspring growth.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brazil. carinecleite@gmail.com
authors.forename: Carine Danielle Ferreira Costa
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: Gabriela Câmara
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: Akemi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Aline D'Avila
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Gilson Teles
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Boaventura
authors.forename: Ronald Marques
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.forename: Luis Guillermo Coca
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Velarde
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D019597:Flax / Q000737:chemistry; D006128:Growth; D007774:Lactation; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D023421:Models, Animal; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D012639:Seeds; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D008894:Milk Proteins