VITAMIN-E STATUS OF LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS FED FORMULA ENRICHED WITH LONG-CHAIN POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS

It is recommended in Europe that low birthweight infants (LBWI) who do not receive human milk (HM) should be fed formula enriched with long- chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCP), The question has been raised whether LCP supplementation to LBWl formula may have adverse effects o n antioxidant status in the recipient infant, particularly on the majo r lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol, alpha-toc.). We studied a-toe. status in LBWI fed HM (n = 15) or formula either wit hout (f, n = 8) or with LCP derived from egg lipids and fish oil (LCP- K n = 9) on days 4 and 21 of life. Plasma alpha-toc. concentrations in creased significantly in infants fed HM [d. 4: 4.53 (1.31), d. 21: 6.3 5 (2.18), mg/l, mean (SD), p<0.01], whereas there were no changes in i nfants fed F of LCPF Plasma alpha-toc./total lipid ratios and erythroc yte membrane alpha-toc. concentrations did not change significantly be tween days 4 and 21 in either group. In contrast, erythrocyte membrane alpha-toc./total lipid ratios decreased significantly in infants fed LCP-F[0.42 (0.13) vs. 0.31 (0.06), p < 0.05], whereas no change occure d in the other two groups. We conclude that an LCP supplementation bas ed on egg lipids and fish oil to formula may induce an early postnatal decrease of alpha-toc./total lipid ratios in erythrocyte membranes of LBWI. Therefore, the effects of different forms of LCP supplementatio n to infant formula an infantile vitamin E status should be carefully evaluated.