Maternal Dietary Acid Research Articles

Alpha linolenic acid in maternal diet halts the lipid disarray due to saturated fatty acids in the liver of mice offspring at weaning.

BackgroundAlpha linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3) in maternal diets has been shown to attenuate obesity associated insulin resistance (IR) in adult offspring in mice. The objective in the present study was to detect the early effects of maternal dietary saturated fatty acids (SFA) and their partial substitution with ω-3 ALA, docosa hexenoic acid (DHA,22:6) and eicosapentenoic acid 20:5 (EPA,20:5) on the HOMA index, liver lipids and fatty acid desaturases in the offspring at weaning.Methods3 month old C57Bl6/J female mice were fed diets containing normal amount of calories but rich in SFA alone or partially replaced with ALA, DHA or EPA before mating, during pregnancy and lactation.ResultsPregnant mice fed SFA produced offspring with the highest HOMA index, liver lipids and desaturase activities. ALA prevented SFA induced lipid increase but DHA and EPA only reduced it by 42% and 31% respectively. ALA, DHA and EPA decreased HOMA index by 84%, 75% and 83% respectively. ALA, DHA and EPA decreased Δ6 and SCD1 desaturase activities about 30%.ConclusionsSFA feeding to mothers predisposes their offspring to develop IR and liver lipid accumulation already at weaning. ω3 fatty acids reduce IR, ALA halts lipid accumulation whereas DHA and EPA only blunt it.ALA and DHA restore the increased SCD1 to normal. These studies suggest that ω-3 fatty acids have different potencies to preclude lipid accumulation in the offspring partially by affecting pathways associated to SCD1 modulation.

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid intake during late pregnancy affects fatty acid composition of mature breast milk

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate how maternal polyunsaturated fatty acid intake at different periods during pregnancy affects the composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids in mature human milk. MethodsA prospective study was conducted involving 45 pregnant women, aged between 18 and 35 y, who had full-term pregnancies and practiced exclusive or predominant breast-feeding. Mature breast milk samples were collected after the 5th postpartum week by manual expression; fatty acid composition was determined by gas chromatography. Fatty acid intake during pregnancy and puerperium was estimated through multiple 24-h dietary recalls. Linear regression models, adjusted by postpartum body mass index and deattenuated, were used to determine associations between estimated fatty acids in maternal diet during each trimester of pregnancy and fatty acid content in mature human milk. ResultsA positive association was identified between maternal intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (β, 1.873; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.545, 3.203) and docosahexaenoic acid (β, 0.464; 95% CI, 0.212–0.714) during the third trimester of pregnancy, as well as the maternal dietary ω-3 to ω-6 ratio (β, 0.093; 95% CI, 0.016–0.170) during the second and third trimesters and postpartum period, with these fatty acids content in mature breast milk. ConclusionsThe maternal dietary docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid content during late pregnancy may affect the fatty acid composition of mature breast milk. Additionally, the maternal dietary intake of ω-3 to ω-6 fatty acid ratio, during late pregnancy and the postpartum period, can affect the polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of breast milk.

TransFatty Acids and Fatty Acid Composition of Mature Breast Milk in Turkish Women and Their Association with Maternal Diet's

The aim of this study was to determine the fatty acid composition and trans fatty acid and fatty acid contents of breast milk in Turkish women and to find the effect of breastfeeding mothers' diet on trans fatty acid and fatty acid composition. Mature milk samples obtained from 50 Turkish nursing women were analyzed. Total milk lipids extracts were transmethylated and analyzed by using gas liquid chromatography to determine fatty acids contents. A questionnaire was applied to observe eating habits and 3 days dietary records from mothers were obtained. Daily dietary intake of total energy and nutrients were estimated by using nutrient database. The mean total trans fatty acids contents was 2.13 +/- 1.03%. The major sources of trans fatty acids in mothers' diets were margarines-butter (37.0%), bakery products and confectionery (29.6%). Mothers who had high level of trans isomers in their milk consumed significantly higher amounts of these products. Saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids of human milk constituted 40.7 +/- 4.7%, 26.9 +/- 4.2% and 30.8 +/- 0.6% of the total fatty acids, respectively. The levels of fatty acids in human milk may reflect the current diet of the mother as well as the diet consumed early in pregnancy. Margarines, bakery products and confectionery are a major source of trans fatty acids in maternal diet in Turkey.

The ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids in maternal diet influences the induction of neonatal immunological tolerance to ovalbumin.

Prevalence of allergy is increasing in many countries and might be related to changed environmental factors, such as dietary fatty acids (FA). The present study investigates whether dietary ratio of n-6 to n-3 FA influences the induction of immunological tolerance to ovalbumin (OA) in neonatal rats. During late gestation and throughout lactation Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a diet containing 7% linseed oil (n-3 diet), sunflower oil (n-6 diet) or soybean oil (n-6/n-3 diet). At 10-16 days of age the rat offspring were subsequently exposed, or not, to OA via the milk. The offspring were weaned onto the same diets as the mothers and immunized with OA and the bystander antigen human serum albumin (HSA). In the offspring on the n-3 diet exposure to OA via the milk resulted in lower delayed type hypersensitivity reaction (DTH) and antibody responses against both OA and HSA, compared to those in the offspring not exposed to OA, indicating the induction of oral tolerance. In the offspring on the n-6 diet, the exposure to OA led to depressed specific immune responses against only OA, not HSA. In the offspring on the n-6/n-3 diet oral exposure to OA did not influence immune responses against OA, or HSA. The results indicate that the dietary ratio of n-6/n-3 FA is important for the induction of neonatal oral tolerance. Thus nonoptimal feeding may have effects on the development of immunological tolerance to dietary antigen ingested by the mother. The ratio of n-6/n-3 FA in the diet may be considered in the context of increased prevalence of allergy.

Trans fatty acids in human milk in Poland and their association with breastfeeding mothers' diets.

To determine the content of trans fatty acids in human milk in relation to breastfeeding mothers' diet. Samples of milk were collected from 100 breastfeeding mothers and 7-d dietary records and anthropometry from 69 mothers were obtained. The following total trans fatty acids contents (median (lower-upper quartile); % wt/wt) in milk samples were determined: 1) data for Spring: colostrum--1.37 (1.00-2.00), mature milk at 5-6 wk of lactation--2.59 (1.49-3.34) and at 9-10 wk of lactation--2.36 (1.55-3.92); 2) data for Autumn: colostrum--1.80 (1.42-2.48), mature milk at 5-6 wk of lactation--2.41 (1.79-4.31) and at 9-10 wk of lactation--2.77 (1.53-4.18). The major sources of trans fatty acids in mothers' diets were bakery products, confectionery and snacks. Mothers who had high level of trans isomers in their milk consumed significantly higher amounts of these products. Bakery products, confectionery and snacks are a major source of trans fatty acids in maternal diet in Poland. The levels of trans fatty acids in human milk may reflect the current diet of the mother as well as the diet consumed early in pregnancy.

Relation between Essential Fatty Acids in Maternal Diet and Human Milk 109

Background: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3) is probably an essential fatty acid for newborns and it is found in human milk. We investigated how the mother's diet would influence the amount of DHA in her milk.

Essential fatty acids in maternal diet and in rat milk phospholipids.

AbstractThe administrations of semisynthetic diets supplemented with oils and fats containing different levels of linoleic acids to lactating rats result in corresponding changes in the polyunsaturated fatty acids of triglycerides in the collected milk. Milk phospholipids show a quite different trend, polyunsaturated acids of the linoleic acid family being highest with low dietary linoleic acid supply, and vice versa, suggesting a control in the secretion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in milk.