n-3 Fatty acid supplementation in burned paediatric patients.

AIM: To determine the effect of dietary supplementation with n-3 fatty acids (FA) in paediatric burned patients who had less than 20% of total body surface affected. METHODS: Burned patients were randomly assigned into two groups, one of them received a supplement of n-3 FA during 5 weeks; the other group was considered as not n-3 supplemented burned group. A third group of no burned patients was selected as control. Blood samples were collected at admission and in burned groups at the final of the study. Plasma and erythrocyte phospholipid FA composition and some biochemical parameters related to the clinical evolution: total plasma proteins and C3 and C4 complement proteins were determined. RESULTS: In the early post-burn patients, there is an increase in saturated and monounsaturated FAs in plasma phospholipids, and a decrease in polyunsaturated FAs compared with control. These alterations are in favour of proinflammatory response to burn injury. In n-3 FA supplemented group, these changes were further reverted, and a favourable response in the amount of total plasma proteins and in C3 and C4 proteins of the complement system was demonstrated. CONCLUSION: Dietary n-3 FA supplementation might be beneficial for patients suffering thermal injury.

Dietary long-chain fatty acids and visual response in malnourished nursing infants.

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.

[Effect of the administration of corn oil on the composition of fatty acids of plasma phospholipids in normal and malnourished infants fed with cow's milk]. / Efecto de la administración de aceite de maíz sobre la composición en ácidos grasos de los fosfolípidos del plasma de lactantes normales y desnutridos alimentados con leche de vaca.

The effect of corn oil diet administration on the essential fatty acids (EFAs) profiles was evaluated in plasma phospholipids from normal and malnourished cow's milk fed infants nursing infants. A control group of only breast-fed was also selected for this study. The fatty acid composition was determined by gas-liquid chromatography and used as biochemical variable for evaluating EFA status. A fall in the proportion of fatty acids concomitant with an increase in the saturated fatty acids, consistent with a pattern of essential fatty acid deficiency (EFAD) was observed in the cow's milk fed infants, either normal or malnourished (Table 2). The corn oil administration was capable of restoring the fatty acid profile to normal values, similar to the values of the control group of breast-fed infants, even in malnourished infants, although during the 15 days test they did not correct their clinical syndrome of malnutrition (Table 3). Calculation of the product-precursor of the linoleic acid provided evidence for the positive effect of the corn oil administration.