Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation during pregnancy as phospholipids did not improve the incorporation of this fatty acid into rat fetal brain compared to the triglyceride form

Prenatal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supply is important to ensure an adequate infant neurodevelopment. Several fat supplements with DHA under different chemical structures are available. There is an increased placental phospholipase activity at the end of pregnancy. The hypothesis of this study was to discern whether DHA consumption during pregnancy as phospholipids (PL) could be more available for placental DHA uptake and fetal accretion than triglycerides (TG) form. We aimed to evaluate materno-fetal DHA status in pregnant rats fed with DHA as PL from egg yolk or TG from algae oil, in order to determine which source might be most effective during pregnancy.
Source: Nutrition Research - Category: Nutrition Authors: Source Type: research