RED-BLOOD-CELL AND TISSUE PHOSPHOLIPID FATTY-ACID PROFILES OF WEANLING RATS FED INFANT FORMULA FAT BLENDS CONTAINING SOY AND OR CORN-OIL/

Soy oil or corn oil may be employed to provide essential fatty acids i n infant formulas. Both of these sources are high in linoleic acid; so y oil contains modest levels of alpha-linolenic acid, while corn oil c ontains very low levels of this essential omega 3 fatty acid. We exami ned the omega 3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCP) accretion in red blood cells, liver, and brain phospholipids of rats on diets co ntaining infant formula fat blends with essential fatty acids provided from soy and/or corn oil. Although modest alterations occurred in the red blood cell omega 3 LCP fatty acid status, substantially larger ch anges were noted in liver LCP profiles. Due to the relatively mature n ature of the rats employed in this experiment, no alterations were not ed in brain fatty acid profiles. In conclusion, we have observed subst antial tissue differences in animals fed soy or corn oil containing di ets. It appears that corn oil is inappropriate for use in infant formu las.