title: Determinants of plasma phospholipid arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids among adolescent girls in central Mozambique - possible roles of iron and zinc.
abstract: We explored if linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) will be efficiently converted to arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the adolescent girls (aged 15-18 years, n=145) in Mozambique consuming habitually low fat diet and if low iron and/or zinc status predicts the conversion. Total fat, LA and ALA intakes were 15-19%, 1.2-3.5% and 0.2-0.3% of energy, respectively in three areas. Iron and zinc intake varied between 9.6-12.3mg/day and 3.6-5.0mg/day. Significant negative association of plasma AA was found with plasma LA and ALA and significant positive association with serum ferritin. Plasma DHA associated, negatively with plasma LA and ALA. We showed that in a population with low intakes of LA and ALA, the proportions of phospholipid LA and ALA determines the relative proportions of AA and DHA and low iron status probably attenuates the conversion of LA to AA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 66, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: marja.mutanen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mutanen
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 66, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Riitta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Freese
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, Uppsala University, Uppsala Science Park, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vessby
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 66, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Korkalo
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Food Security Association (ANSA), Maputo, Mozambique.
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Selvester
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 66, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Sangita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kulathinal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000097:blood; D009073:Mozambique; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc
keywords: Adolescent girls; Essential fatty acids; Fatty acid desaturase index; Iron; Sub-Saharan Africa; Zinc