[Biology and biochemical aspects of long-chains polyunsaturated fatty acid during gestation]

During pregnancy, the mother must provide the nutrients necessary for proper differentiation, maturation and growth of fetal organs and systems. During this period, the mother adapts her metabolism to address the continuing demand for substrates to be transferred to the fetus through the placenta. Essential fatty acids cannot be synthesized by humans, therefore, should be consumed as part of the diet. Its derivates, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) from biosynthesis in the maternal liver during pregnancy and lactation are compounds that will form part of the cell membranes of the brain, retina, and liver, fetal and newborn heart, thereby enabling the smooth, activation and regulation of cellular functions. Therefore, adequate nutritional status of the mother during pregnancy and lactation is necessary to ensure adequate product development. This article aims to review some aspects of the adaptive mechanisms of maternal lipid metabolism, mainly from LC-PUFAs compensating energy expenditure and allow the proper development of the product.