Role of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant nutrition

Abstract

Objective: To review briefly the influence of dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) on tissue composition and functionality in early infancy. Moreover, the influences of LC-PUFA sources on plasma composition as well as the effects of these fatty acids on intestinal repair after malnutrition are discussed. Results: Human milk not only supplies essential fatty acids but also contains up to 2% of the total fatty acids as LC-PUFA, of which arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are considered the most important. Plasma and erythrocyte levels of both AA and DHA are decreased in infants fed artificial standard milk formulae. However, the supplementation of formulae with these fatty acids in amounts close to that of human milk leads to tissue LC-PUFA patterns similar to those of breast-fed infants. However, the bioavailability of LC-PUFA depends on the typical LC-PUFA source; egg phospholipids increases both AA and DHA in plasma phospholipids and HDL more than a mixture of tuna and fungal triglycerides. Conclusions: Dietary LC-PUFA affects positively the growth and development of the infant and ameliorates the visual and cognitive functions, particularly in preterm infants. Likewise, LC-PUFA improves intestinal repair in severe protein-energy malnutrition; therefore, its qualitative and quantitative dietary supply should be considered.

Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid synthesis in a marine vertebrate: Ontogenetic and nutritional regulation of a fatty acyl desaturase with Δ4 activity

“…They are major components of biological membranes, particularly of immune cells and neural tissue, being vital for visual and cognitive development during early ontogeny, important in normal growth and development, as well as for tissue repair during injury [1][2][3][4]. The LC-PUFA are implicated in the regulation of a multitude of metabolic and immune pathways through their roles as secondary messengers and transcription factor ligands, and are potent bioactive molecules and precursors of eicosanoids with pro-or anti-inflammatory properties, hence intervening in a number of prevalent inflammatory disorders, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, asthma, and several mental disorders [5][6][7].…”

Functional Food in Child Nutrition

“…DHA content in the breast milk of mothers from Western countries is about 0.4% and the ARA/DHA ratio is approximately 1.0-1.5. In consequence, plasma and red blood cell LC-PUFA status is higher in breastfed infants than in infants fed non-supplemented formulas (Gil et al 2003). LC-PUFA content in maternal milk is an important factor to take into account in infant nutrition, because during the neonatal period there is a rapid increase of ARA and/or DHA in the body of the newborn, and more specifically in his/her brain and retina (Heird & Lapillonne 2005).…”

Separation of polyunsaturated fatty acids by selective inclusion in guanidinium‐1,5‐naphthalenedisulfonate‐2‐methoxyethanol host networks

“…A particular class of PUFAs, omega-3 fatty acids, named for the position of the first double bond from the methyl terminus, has been positively associated with the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and other autoimmune and inflammatory disorders (Simopoulos, 1999). In addition, supplementation of infant formula with omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to enhance visual and neurological development in both preterm and term infants (Gil et al, 2003). Awareness of these and other important roles of omega-3 fatty acids in human health has spurred interest in the development of PUFA sources, including traditional fish oils, as well as their production from algal and microbial sources (De Swaaf et al, 2003).…”