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Dietary long-chain fatty acids and visual response in malnourished nursing infants
M C Marín1, G E Rey, L C Pedersolí
1Carrera del Investigador (CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata, CONICET-UNLP, Calle 60 y 120, La Plata, 1900, Argentina. mmarin@atlas.med.unlp.edu.ar
Insights
Supplementing malnourished infant formula with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) improved visual function and erythrocyte fatty acid composition, mimicking breast-fed infants. Formula lacking these specific fatty acids did not achieve similar visual outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Developmental Biology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), derived from essential fatty acids (EFAs), are crucial for prenatal visual and neural development.
- Protein-energy malnutrition can disrupt PUFA supply, impacting structural lipid synthesis during growth.
- Studies indicate visual function differences between formula-fed and breast-fed infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if modifying the fatty acid composition in the diet of malnourished infants impacts their visual function.
- To determine the effect of different infant formulas on erythrocyte phospholipid fatty acid composition in malnourished infants.
Main Methods:
- Three groups of malnourished infants were studied: one fed a standard formula (Formula I), another a supplemented formula with long-chain PUFAs (Formula II), and a reference group of breast-fed infants.
- Visual function was assessed using full-field flash electroretinography.
- Erythrocyte phospholipid fatty acid composition was analyzed using gas-liquid chromatography.
Main Results:
- Infants receiving the supplemented formula (Formula II) demonstrated retinal function comparable to breast-fed infants.
- Infants fed the standard formula (Formula I) did not achieve normal visual function results.
- Docosahexaenoic acid levels in erythrocyte phospholipids correlated with observed outcomes across all groups.
Conclusions:
- For malnourished infants, nutrient formulas enriched with long-chain n-6 and n-3 fatty acids can help establish an erythrocyte fatty acid profile similar to that of breast-fed infants.
- Such enriched formulas may also support visual function comparable to that observed in breast-fed infants.
Abstract:
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) derived from essential fatty acids (EFAs) play an important role in prenatal visual and neural development. Protein-energy malnutrition affects PUFA supply, and hence the synthesis of structural lipids during growth. Recently, some physiological studies reported abnormalities in the visual function of formula-fed infants relative to breast-fed infants. The purpose of our study was to assess whether fatty acid composition of the malnourished infant diet modifies the visual function and erythrocyte phospholipid fatty acid composition. Three groups of full-term malnourished infants were selected. Two groups received commercial formulas. One of them supplied linoleic and alpha -linolenic acid: Formula I (FI), and the other supplied, in addition, long-chain PUFAs from n-3 and n-6 series: Formula II (FII). A reference group of breast-fed infants was also enrolled. Visual function was assessed using full-field flash electroretinography, and the erythrocyte phospholipid fatty acid composition was determined by gas-liquid chromatography. Those infants receiving the supplemented formula (FII) exhibited a similar retinal function to that of breast-fed infants. However, normal results were not achieved when infants were fed on the FI formula. In all groups, the results were correlated with the proportion of docosahexaenoic acid in erythrocyte phospholipid fatty acid composition. We conclude that in malnourished infants a nutrient formula enriched with long-chain fatty acids of n-6 and n-3 series could be helpful to achieve an erythrocyte fatty acid pattern and a visual function similar to that obtained in breast-fed infants.