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On the Relative Efficacy of α-Linolenic Acid and Preformed Docosahexaenoic Acid as Substrates for Tissue Docosahexaenoate During Perinatal Development

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Fatty Acids

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

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Abstract

The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), α-linolenic acid (LNA, 18:3n−3) and linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n−6) are indispensable dietary components in mammals. It is thought that the primary metabolic role of LA and LNA are as essential precursors for conversion to their respective long-chain metabolites. Of these long-chain PUFA (LCP, C>20) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n−3) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n−6), have received the most attention, because of their distinct functional roles in fetal and infant health. They are present in human breast milk at small but significant amounts, ranging from 0.1% to 0.6% and 0.5% to 1%, respectively (Jensen, 1996). DHA and AA are the most abundant n−3 and n−6 LCP found in the lipids of humans and are concentrated in the brain and central nervous system (CNS), which is second only to adipose tissue in containing the greatest percentage of lipid. The brain is comprised of 50–60% lipids (dry wt) serving mostly structural roles, as opposed to storage of energy of triacylglycero1 in adipose tissues. A related organ, the retina, is also rich in DHA, which comprises approximately 50% of phospholipid acyl groups in retinal photoreceptor membranes (Fliesler & Anderson, 1983; Sastry, 1985). The functional importance of DHA is related to its functional significance in supporting perinatal neurological and visual development. Depletion of DHA in the brains of monkeys during fetal and early postnatal development results in permanent deficits of visual function despite later biochemical repletion of brain and retinal DHA (Neuringer, Connor, Lin, Barsted, & Luck, 1986; Neuringer, Connor, Petten, & Barstad, 1984). AA is a structural component of membrane phospholipids and is known to exert its biological actions by serving as the precursor of eicosanoids, which exercise ubiquitous physiological influences.

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  1. Meng-Chuan Huang
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  2. J. Thomas Brenna
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    David I. Mostofsky PhD

  2. Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Shlomo Yehuda PhD

  3. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, MD, USA

    Norman Salem Jr. PhD

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Huang, MC., Brenna, J.T. (2001). On the Relative Efficacy of α-Linolenic Acid and Preformed Docosahexaenoic Acid as Substrates for Tissue Docosahexaenoate During Perinatal Development. In: Mostofsky, D.I., Yehuda, S., Salem, N. (eds) Fatty Acids. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-119-0_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-119-0_6

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61737-265-0

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