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Retinal fatty acids of piglets fed docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids from microbial sources

  • Symposium on Dietary Fat and Neural Development
  • Published:
Lipids

Abstract

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22∶6n-3) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20∶4n-6) serve important roles in perinatal visual and neural development. A neonatal pig model was used to determine if dietary supplementation with DHA and AA at slightly greater concentrations than normally found in human milk would influence fatty acid accretion in retina. One-day-old piglets were assigned to one of four diets (n=5/group): (i) STD, standard diet containing fat similar to infant formula; (ii) STD+DHA, 0.7% of fatty acids as DHA; (iii) STD+AA, 0.9% as AA; and (iv) STD+BOTH, 0.8% as DHA plus 1.0% as AA. After 25 d, fatty acids in retina phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were determined. Supplementation with DHA resulted in approximately twofold increases (P<0.05) in PC-DHA (4.88% in STD vs. 10.03% in STD+DHA and 9.47% in STD+BOTH). Similarly, AA supplementation increased PC-AA 1.3–1.4-fold (4.47% in STD vs. 6.19% in STD+AA and 5.70% in STD+BOTH). For PE, supplementation with either fatty acid or in combination resulted in no significant increases, except for a 1.2-fold increase in DHA for STD+BOTH (32.66%) vs. STD (28.38%). Thus, PC responded to dietary supplementation, with addition of DHA, AA, or BOTH, resulting in increases in respective fatty acids; PE was less responsive, with only STD+BOTH resulting in increased DHA. No significant competition between DHA and AA in incorporation into phospholipids was observed. In conclusion, consumption of a combination of DHA and AA by neonatal pigs supported accretion of DHA in retina phospholipids, while simultaneously supplying the AA necessary for membrane phospholipids and eicosanoid biosynthesis.

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Abbreviations

AA:

arachidonic acid

DHA:

docosahexaenoic acid

FAME:

fatty acid methyl ester

LA:

linoleic acid

LNA:

α-linolenic acid

PC:

phosphatidylcholine

PE:

phosphatidylethanolamine

SOW:

a naturally-reared group fed sow milk

STD:

a standard diet containing a fat blend similar to that used in some commercial infant formulas

STD+AA:

standard diet supplemented with AA

STD+BOTH:

standard diet supplemented with both DHA and AA

STD+DHA:

standard diet supplemented with DHA

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition Research Department, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, 19101, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    Eric L. Lien

  2. Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Auburn University, 363 Spidle Hall, 36849-5605, Auburn, AL

    Margaret C. Craig-Schmidt & Kathryn E. Stieh

Authors
  1. Margaret C. Craig-Schmidt
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  2. Kathryn E. Stieh
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  3. Eric L. Lien
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Additional information

Based on a presentation at the AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo in San Antonio, Texas, May 7–11, 1995.

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Craig-Schmidt, M.C., Stieh, K.E. & Lien, E.L. Retinal fatty acids of piglets fed docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids from microbial sources. Lipids 31, 53–59 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02522411

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02522411

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