[Omega-3 fatty acids in parenteral nutrition: are they what makes the difference?].

Omega-3 fatty acids derived from fish oil have constantly been in the limelight in recent years because of their beneficial effects on health. In the field of parenteral nutrition, fish oil-based lipid emulsions also have shown very promising results with regard to parenteral-nutrition-associated liver disease (PNALD) and in comparison with soybean-oil derived emulsions. The latter are especially rich in omega-6 fatty acids, with pro-inflammatory characteristics. It is not clear, however, which effects can be attributed to the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil, with their anti-inflammatory profile, since studies employed different lipid doses for soybean- and fish oil emulsions. In addition, antioxidants and potentially toxic plant sterols play a role. There is a clear need for adequate controlled studies to clarify these effects.