Maternal omega-3 fatty acid intake during neurodevelopment does not affect pup behavior related to depression, novelty, or learning

Maternal omega-3 fatty acid intake during neurodevelopment does not affect pup behavior related to depression, novelty, or learning

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Abstract Objective Previously, we showed that consumption of a diet supplemented with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3FAs) for two rounds of gestation and lactation increased the ability of rat dams to cope with stress when compared to dams that ingested a diet lacking n-3FAs.The objective of this study was to determine if the diets of these dams affected the behavior of their pups later in life.To isolate the neurodevelopmental effects harmonica carrying case of n-3FAs, pups from the second gestation were weaned to a diet adequate in n-3FAs.Pup testing began at 8 weeks of age and consisted of the forced swim, open field, and hole board tests to examine depression-related behavior, reaction moen rothbury faucet to novelty, and learning and memory, respectively.

Results Given the considerable difference in the n-3FA content of the maternal diet, we expected a large effect size, however with the exception of rearing duration, maternal diet did not affect behavior in any of the tests conducted.These results suggest that maternal n-3FA supplementation during neurodevelopment likely does not affect offspring behavior when a diet adequate in n-3FA is provided post-weaning.Rather, we hypothesize that brain n-3FAs at the time of testing confer altered behavior and corroborate the need for additional research.