Abstract
We investigated the effects of lard and fish-oil diets during pregnancy and lactation on the composition of the stomach content and fatty acid in the brain of rat pups. Two groups of dams were fed either a lard diet (LD) or a fish-oil diet (FD) during the experimental period. On days 9, 17, 23, 29 and 35 after birth, two pups each from the litters of all dams were killed and their blood, stomach and brain were collected. On day 9 after birth, although the protein and fat energy ratios (P and F ratios) in the stomach content were higher and the carbohydrate energy ratio (C ratio) was lower, the P and F ratios decreased and the C ratio increased on the 23th day. However, there was no significant difference in the PFC ratio after birth between the two groups. On day 9 after birth, the n-3 fatty acid composition of the stomach content of pups nursed by dams fed the FD was 20 times higher than that of the LD group. Although the plasma n-3 fatty acid composition in pups nursed by dams fed the FD was 6 times higher than that of the LD group, there was no significant inter-group difference in the n-3 fatty acid composition of the brain. On days 23 and 35 after birth, the brain n-3 fatty acid composition in pups nursed by dams fed the FD was higher than that in pups of the LD group. The brain n-6 fatty acid content in pups nursed by dams fed the LD was higher than that in the FD group. The level of docosapentaenoic acid in the brain of pups nursed by dams fed the LD was higher than that in the brain of pups in the FD group. Our study suggests that FD intake during pregnancy and lactation provides more n-3 PUFA to pups and alters their brain fatty acid composition.
