Maternal Flaxseed Oil During Lactation Enhances Bone Development in Male Rat Pups.

Key Findings

In this study, maternal flaxseed oil use during the lactation period was assessed as to effects on body composition and bone structure of male rat pups during weaning. The FO group showed higher adiposity, justified by higher body compartment and similar fractional intra-abdominal fat mass at weaning. Morphometric retroperitoneal fat compartment analyses showed a lower adipocyte area in the FO group, which can be related with higher ALA, EPA and DHA and lower ARA serum concentrations. ALA is associated with lower maturation, osteoclast lifespan and lower bone resorption. Thus, these pathways help explain higher osteocalcin, OPG and bone status observed in the flaxseed oil group, which highlights flaxseed oil for bone health.   Further, use of DXA methods confirmed flaxseed oil importance to the increases in body BMD, BMC and bone area at weaning. The present study findings demonstrate significant effects of lactating mothers fed with a diet containing flaxseed oil on bone and body composition and suggest that adequate ALA content in the lactating diet plays an important role in development.

Abstract

Flaxseed oil is an alpha linolenic acid source important in the growth and body development stage; furthermore, this acid acts on adipose tissue and bone health. The aim of this study was to evaluate body composition, fatty acid composition, hormone profile, retroperitoneal adipocyte area and femur structure of pups at weaning, whose mothers were fed a diet containing flaxseed oil during lactation. After birth, pups were randomly assigned: control and flaxseed oil. At 21 days, the pups were weaned and body mass, length, body composition, biochemical parameter, leptin, osteoprotegrin, osteocalcin, fatty acids composition, intra abdominal fat mass and femur structure were analyzed. FO showed higher body mass (+12%) and length +9%); body fat mass (g, +45%); bone mineral density (+ 8%), bone mineral content (+55%) and bone area (+35%+, osteocalcin (+173%) and osteoprotegerin (+183%). Arachidonic acid was lower, alpha-linolenic and eicosapentaenoic were higher. Intra-abdominal fat mass was higher (+25%), however, the retroperitoneal adipocytes area was lower (-44%). Femur mass (+10%), distance between epiphyses (+4%) and bone mineral density (+13%) were higher. The study demonstrates that adequate flaxseed oil content during a lactation diet plays an important role in the development of pups.