Maternal Flaxseed Oil During Lactation Enhances Bone Development in Male Rat Pups

Flaxseed oil is an alpha linolenic acid source important in the growth and body development stage; furthermore, this acid acts on adipose tissue and bone health. The aim of this study was to evaluate body composition, fatty acid composition, hormone profile, retroperitoneal adipocyte area and femur structure of pups at weaning, whose mothers were fed a diet containing flaxseed oil during lactation. After birth, pups were randomly assigned: control ( C , n = 12) and flaxseed oil (FO, n = 12), rats whose mothers were treated with diet containing soybean or flaxseed oil. At 21 days, the pups were weaned and body mass, length, body composition, biochemical parameter, leptin, osteoprotegerin, osteocalcin, fatty acids composition, intra-abdominal fat mass and femur structure were analyzed. FO showed ( p