Dietary Essential -Fatty Acids in Early Postnatal Life: Long-Term Outcomes

摘要

The formation of long-chain (LC) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from the parent essential fatty acids (EFAs) in early life is limited, thus infants are dependent on the exogenous provision of LC-PUFAs from human milk or supplemented formula. LC-PUFAs are structural components of all tissues, they are indispensable for cell membrane synthesis and for the function of key organelles such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and synaptic vesicles; and also for membrane receptors and signal transduction systems. The brain, retina and other neural tissues are particularly rich in LC-PUFAs; if diet is deficient in LC-PUFAs during early life, neural structural development and function are affected. LC-PUFAs also serve as specific precursors for 20-carbon eicosanoid production (prostaglandins, prostacy-clins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes).