THE INFLUENCE OF HABITUAL DIET AND INCREASED DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID INTAKE DURING PREGNANCY ON THE FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF INDIVIDUAL PLACENTAL LIPIDS

Abstract

Aim: To study the effects of dietary n-3 fatty acids on the composition of individual placenta lipid fractions and elucidate the involvement of various lipid fraction in placental fatty acid transfer. Methods: We analysed the fatty acid composition of placental phospholipids (PL), triglycerides (TG), cholesterol esters (CE) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) in pregnant women receiving placebo or n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Placental samples were available from 202 women participating in a randomised clinical trial in Germany, Spain and Hungary. During the second half of pregnancy, the women received milk based supplements containing either modified fish oil [500 mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 150 mg eicosapentaenoic acid daily] or placebo. Placental samples were collected immediately after delivery, lipids extracted, lipid fractions isolated by thin layer chromatography and fatty acids analysed by gas chromatography. Results: DHA values (M ± SE) of placebo groups tended to differ between countries (table). Relative to placebo, supplementation increased DHA content (M ± SE) of all placental lipid fractions in all study populations.TableTotal saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were not affected by the supplementation, but n-6 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids tended to be lower after supplementation (n.s.). There was a significant correlation of DHA content in TG (r = 0.55) and PL (r = 0.71) to DHA content in NEFA. Conclusions: Dietary n-3 fatty acids modifies the composition of all major lipid fractions in placental tissue. The correlation of DHA contents in NEFA with those of TG and PL, respectively, are in line with a placental NEFA uptake and subsequent incorporation into tissue lipid fractions.