Severe malnutrition alters lipid composition and fatty acid profile of small intestine in newborn piglets.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of severe protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) on lipid composition and fatty acid profile in the small intestinal mucosa of lactating pigs. Malnutrition was achieved by 80% protein-energy restriction for 30 d (20% of the food intake in the control group) in 7-d-old newborn piglets. Malnourished piglets had significantly lower concentrations of cholesterol, phospholipid and triglycerides in the jejunum and ileum compared with freely fed controls. Fatty acid composition of the intestinal mucosa was severely affected by malnutrition. A sharp decline in the relative percentages of (n-3) and (n-6) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in malnourished piglets paralleled higher (n-9) fatty acid proportions in the total mucosa, microsomes and phospholipids of the jejunum. The structure of the small intestine was severely affected as assessed by light and electron microscopy, and alkaline phosphatase and disaccharidase activities in the intestinal mucosa were also significantly impaired. Plasma from malnourished piglets had significantly lower concentrations of (n-3) and (n-6) LC-PUFA than that of control piglets; however, the fatty acid composition of red blood cell membrane was unaffected. Our results suggest that early severe PEM dramatically modifies intestinal membrane lipid composition. Changes in the lipid composition of the small intestinal mucosa and in phospholipid distribution as well as in the fatty acid profile may alter membrane fluidity and organization. These alterations appear to affect the activity of membrane-bound hydrolytic enzymes.