RESEARCH Open Access Composition of fatty acids a h Fe

Full list of author information is available at the end of the articleBackground The essential fatty acids (EFAs), linoleic acid (LA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA), and their long-chain derivatives (long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids – LC-PUFA) have been identified as important determinants of fetal growth and development [1]. However, EFAs cannot be synthesized by mammalian tissue due to a lack of Δ15 and Δ12 desaturase enzymes and must be obtained through dietary intake [2]. Although human beings are incapable of performing de novo n-3 and n-6 fatty acid synthesis [3], they are able to desaturate and elongate them by way of other enzymes, transforming LA to archidonic acid (AA) and ALA to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) [4]. AA is fundamental for fetal growth [5] and DHA, in particular, plays an important role in brain and retina formation, development, and functioning during preg-nancy and the early years of life. Among the n-3 series of fatty acids, DHA is found in the greatest abundance in the central nervous system of mammals and is espe-cially concentrated in the phospholipids of the cerebra