Chapter 24 - Fish Oil Supplements During Perinatal Life: Impact on the Liver of Offspring

Abstract

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) play a key role in fetal development, but they cannot be synthesized by the fetus and so must be transferred from the mother. Maternal dietary fatty acids during the perinatal period may affect the epigenetic outcomes in the offspring. Fish oil is commonly used as a dietary supplement during the perinatal stage and, in experimental animals, its effects are quite variable, depending on the dose, timing, and duration of the supplement in pregnancy. Non–alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease, and an accumulation of triacylglycerols in liver is its most characteristic feature. A high-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation can program NAFLD in the offspring. The n-3 LCPUFAs present in fish oil have major functions in regulating hepatic lipid metabolism. Dietary supplements of fish oil have been used as a therapeutic strategy to combat NAFLD. Fish oil supplements have been shown to reduce hepatic lipid content in NAFLD, but the implications of maternal fish oil consumption during pregnancy on longer term child health has not yet been clearly established.