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Interrelationship between protein-energy malnutrition and essential fatty acid deficiency in nursing infants
M C Marín1, M E De Tomás, O Mercuri
1Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP), CONICET-UNLP, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, La Plata, Argentina.
Insights
Severe protein-calorie malnutrition in infants impairs essential fatty acid (EFA) status, altering fatty acid profiles in plasma and red blood cells (RBCs). This deficiency is linked to malnutrition severity and affects fatty acid metabolism.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Clinical Nutrition
Background:
- Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are crucial for infant development.
- Protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) is a significant global health concern in infants.
- Assessing EFA status is vital for understanding nutritional deficiencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of severe protein-calorie malnutrition on EFA status in nursing infants.
- To investigate changes in plasma and red blood cell (RBC) fatty acid patterns due to malnutrition.
- To correlate EFA deficiency with the severity of malnutrition.
Main Methods:
- Study included nursing infants aged 2-5 months with severe PCM and a healthy control group.
- Analyzed the fatty acid composition of total phospholipids from plasma and RBCs.
- Calculated product-precursor ratios of polyunsaturated fatty acids derived from linoleic acid.
Main Results:
- Infants with PCM showed a significant decrease in n-6 (omega-6) fatty acids and an increase in n-9 fatty acids in plasma and RBC phospholipids.
- These alterations in fatty acid profiles are indicative of EFA deficiency.
- The degree of EFA deficiency correlated with the severity of malnutrition.
Conclusions:
- Severe protein-calorie malnutrition leads to EFA deficiency in infants.
- Malnutrition disrupts the normal fatty acid metabolism, specifically impairing the elongation-desaturation pathway.
- Monitoring EFA status can serve as a biochemical marker for malnutrition severity.
Abstract:
The influence of severe protein-calorie malnutrition on essential fatty acid (EFA) status was evaluated in nursing infants aged 2-5 mo. A control group of the same age and with normal weight-for-height was also selected for this study. The fatty acid pattern of total phospholipids from plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) was determined and then used as a biochemical variable for evaluating EFA status. A sharp fall in the relative percentage of n-6 (omega-6) fatty acids concomitant with an increase in the n-9 fatty acids in plasma and RBC phospholipids was observed. These results are consistent with the picture of EFA deficiency and showed that the deficiency state is well correlated with the severity of malnutrition. Calculation of the product-precursor ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids derived from linoleic acid (18:2n-6) in RBC phospholipids provides evidence for an impairment in the elongation-desaturation pathway promoted by the protein-calorie malnutrition.