EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTATION OF MILK-FAT WITH PEANUT OIL ON BLOOD-LIPIDSAND LIPOPROTEINS IN INFANTS

Three different groups of infants were fed with different formulae bas ed on milk fat. Group I received cow's milk fat formulae with 20% butt er fat whereas groups II and III received a formulae which was supplem ented with 50 and 33% of peanut oil supplementation in 20% milk fat re spectively. Anthropometric measurements, cholesterol, triglyceride, li poproteins and plasma fatty acids were followed up to a period of 6 mo nths. The results indicated that cow's milk-fed infants had higher cho lesterol levels (P < 0.01) than the other two groups. No significant d ifferences with respect to high-density Lipoproteins (HDLs) were found , whereas low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and very low-density lipopro teins (VLD1s (VLD1s) were found to be increasing up to a period of 6 m onths. No significant differences were observed with respect to satura ted fatty acids and oleic acid (18:1) levels whereas Linoleic acid (18 :2) clearly showed a proportional relationship between the intake and plasma levels, indicating a positive correlation. Arachidonic acid (20 :4) did not, however, show a proprotionate relationship with respect t o linoleic acid (18:2) intake. The triene/tetraene, oleic/linoleic, li noleic/arachidonic and total n6 fatty acids were all normal indicating normal activity of desaturase and elongase enzymes for the optimal ut ilisation of linoleic acid. Thus, the present study suggests that a ve getable oil such as peanut oil could be used in milk fat to improve th e essential fatty acid (EFA) status of infants.