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Interaction of n‐3 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids with n‐6 fatty acids in suckled rat pups
Author(s) -
Boyle Frances G.,
Yuhas Rebecca J.,
Goldberg Kenneth,
Lien Eric L.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/s11745-998-0202-1
Subject(s) - polyunsaturated fatty acid , linoleic acid , arachidonic acid , phospholipid , fish oil , fatty acid , long chain , docosahexaenoic acid , biology , medicine , endocrinology , lipidology , biochemistry , food science , chemistry , fish <actinopterygii> , membrane , fishery , polymer science , enzyme
The addition of long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCP: C20, and C22) to infant formula may permit fatty acid accretion rates similar to breast‐fed infants, and may have long‐term outcome benefits, such as improved visual acuity and cognitive development. Although fish oil may provide a source of n‐3 LCP, sources of n‐6 LCP have been more difficult to identify. The present study evaluates the effects of n‐3 and n‐6 LCP derived from single‐cell oils on liver, plasma, and brain fatty acid levels in a neonatal animal model. Newborn rat pups were suckled for 14 d by dams receiving diets containing n‐3 LCP alone or combinations of n‐3 LCP and increasing doses of linoleic acid (18∶2n−6) or arachidonic acid (20∶4n−6). Dietary groups received 2% n−3 LCP and 1, 2, or 5% of either 18∶2n−6 or 20∶4n−6. The 20∶4n−6 source also contained modest levels of 18∶2n−6. At the termination of the study, liver, plasma, and brain were obtained from the rat pups and the phospholipid fatty acid profiles determined. The results indicate complex interactions of n−3 and n−6 fatty acids. Groups receiving dietary 20∶4n−6 incorporated higher levels of n−6 LCP into tissues than did the groups receiving 18∶2n−6. The brain was relatively resistant to changes in fatty acid composition compared with the liver and plasma. As expected, tissue n−3 LCP levels were reciprocally related to n−6 levels. The present results document that single‐cell LCP oils are bioavailable in a neonatal animal model. The use of 20∶4n−6 is a more effective means of supporting n−6 status than the use of 18∶2n−6. These results may have implications for the addition of LCP to infant formula.