Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids on pregnancy and lactation in female mice

In this thesis we showed that physiological changes during pregnancy and lactation lead to altered requirements for specific PUFAs, particularly n-3 and n-6 PUFAs, compared to non-pregnant females. These requirements were influenced by variations in the LA-to-ALA ratio and DHA supplementation in the diet. Despite these dietary PUFA manipulations, energy metabolism and maternal energy adaptations remained unaffected, suggesting the involvement of additional factors in maternal energy metabolism regulation and a more complex regulatory network that ensures both maternal and offspring nutritional needs are met.