Maternal high fat diet deficient in vitamin B12influences long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid composition in rats.
OBJECTIVE
In India, there is a rise in non-communicable diseases due to diets deficient in vitamin B12, low in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and increased consumption of westernized diet. The present study aims to examine the effect of maternal high fat diet (HFD) in absence of vitamin B12on pregnancy outcome and tissue fatty acid composition in dams.


METHODS
Pregnant Wistar rats were assigned to following diets: Control (C), HFD, High fat diet supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids (HFDO), 4) High fat diet deficient in vitamin B12(HFBD), High fat deficient in vitamin B12supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids (HFBDO).


RESULTS
There was no effect on pregnancy outcome as a consequence of different dietary treatments. The levels of DHA in HFBD group were lower (p < 0.05 for both) in placenta as compared to both control and HFD groups, which were improved by omega-3 fatty acid supplementation.


CONCLUSIONS
This data suggests that maternal HFD (using dairy fat) did not adversely affect pregnancy outcome. However, maternal HFBD reduced levels of placental DHA. This may have implications for reduced fetal brain growth and development.
a Department of Nutritional Medicine , Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, BharatiVidyapeeth Deemed University , Pune , India.
Shruti
S
Jawale
a Department of Nutritional Medicine , Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, BharatiVidyapeeth Deemed University , Pune , India.
Anubha
A
Pulwale
a Department of Nutritional Medicine , Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, BharatiVidyapeeth Deemed University , Pune , India.
Sadhana
S
Joshi
a Department of Nutritional Medicine , Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, BharatiVidyapeeth Deemed University , Pune , India.
Anvita
A
Kale
D000818:Animals; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*
D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids
Dairy fat; docosahexaenoic acid; high fat model; placental fatty acids; vitamin B12