Protective effect of dairy fat on brain DHA levels of young rats born from ALA deficient or ALA rich mothers

Background and aims: DHA is the major brain FA and omega 3 deficiencies during gestation lactation could have dramatic impacts on health during adulthood. Our objectives: 1. Impact of dietary deficient or ALA rich diets during gestation lactation on the brain DHA levels of post weaning young males submitted to deficient or ALA rich diets; 2. Specific impact of different matrix: Dairy fat compared to rapeseed diet to restore or maintain brain DHA levels in Young rats born from deficient or ALA rich dams. Methods: Two groups of dams were fed during gestation/lactation with either a deficient ALA palm (0.4 percent) diet or a protective ALA rich (8 percent) rapeseed diet. After weaning, 3 groups of males born from ALA deficient and ALA rich dams received a 6weeks10 percent fat diet, either (i) ALA deficient palm(ALA 0.4 percent), (ii) ALA low dairy fat (ALA0.8 percent), (iii) ALA rich rapeseed ( ALA 8 percent). Results and Conclusions: 1. Newborn and weaning pups from ALA deficient dams showed brain DHA levels 2 times lower than those from ALA rich dams. 2. Brain DHA of post weaning rats were more dependent of dams status than of their own diet: an ALA rich diet during gestation and lactation is protecting against ALA deficiency during post weaning growth, while an ALA rich diet post weaning allow a recovery for those born from deficient dams, but never reach the values of those born from ALA rich dams.  Dairy fat, despite 10times less ALA than rapeseed oil (0.8 percentvs8 percent), is as efficient as rapeseed to restore the brain DHA level in young rats born from ALA deficient dams and to maintain similar levels for those born from ALA rich dams. The same low n6 to n3 ratio (2.3) in these two type of fats (while 21 for palm) associated to a lower Delta 6 desaturase competition within the n3 family between ALA and DHA of dairy fat matrix and the complexity of the composition of dairy fat could be part of their protective effect. (Authors abstract)