SFP P-083 – Better restoration of Brain DHA with dairy-fat compared to vegetable blends in omega3-deficient rat

Abstract

Objectives In an attempt to validate the potential Replacement of vegetable fat with dairy-fat in infant formulas, the brain DHA level of rats was used as a nutritional model to compare the effects of blends based on dairy-fat instead of palm oil. Methods Rats, born from dams fed deficient-ALA-diet over gestation/lactation, received, for 6 weeks post-weaning, diets providing either similar 1.5%ALA recommended for infant formulas, blended with (i)dairy-fat, (ii)palm oil, or (iii)increased to 2.3%ALA with dairy-fat and were compared to diets containing pure 0.4%ALA-palm, pure 0.8%ALA-dairy-fat and pure 8%ALA-rapeseed Results/Conclusions 1/Brain DHA restoration of young-deficient-rats is more efficient with 1.5%ALA-dairy-fat compared to 1.5%ALA-vegetable blend. 2/Brain DHA restoration is even more efficient with a 2.3%ALA-dairy-fat blend compared to previous ones (better n6/n3ratio:5vs10) and is comparable to pure 8%ALA-rapeseed. 3/Pure 0.8%ALA-dairy-fat is 3 times better than pure 0.4%ALA-palm despite similar ALA levels (better n6/n3ratio 2.3vs21), and is as efficient as pure 8%ALA-rapeseed despite 10times less ALA (similar n6/n3ratio 2.3 but specificity/complexity of dairyfat matrix). Use of dairy-fat for infant formulas should be reconsidered. Partially granted by Lactalis