Essential fatty acids in maternal diet and in rat milk phospholipids

The administrations of semisynthetic diets supplemented with oils and fats containing different levels of linoleic acids to lactating rats result in corresponding changes in the polyunsaturated fatty acids of triglycerides in the collected milk. Milk phospholipids show a quite different trend, polyunsaturated acids of the linoleic acid family being highest with low dietary linoleic acid supply, and vice versa, suggesting a control in the secretion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in milk.