Effects of Prepartum Flaxseed and Hermetia illucens Oil Supplementation on Fatty Acid Profiles Across the Maternal–Placental–Offspring Axis in Prolific Ewes
- 1Department of Environmental Hygiene and Animal Welfare, Faculty of Biology and Animal Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego St. 38c, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
- 2Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Norwida St. 31, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland
- 3Department of Food Chemistry and Biocatalysis, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Norwida St. 27, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland
Abstract
Maternal dietary lipids may influence fatty acid availability across the maternal–placental–offspring axis. This study evaluated the effects of prepartum supplementation with flaxseed oil (FO), black soldier fly larvae (BSFL; Hermetia illucens) oil, or their 2:1 blend (Mix) in 32 pregnant Olkuska ewes. Ewes in the supplemented groups received 30 g of oil daily for 21 days during late gestation. Fatty acid profiles were determined in maternal serum, placental tissue, amniotic fluid, and lamb serum, together with placental histology and early lamb performance. Maternal serum exhibited the most pronounced treatment- and time-related changes, including increased C14:0 in the BSFL and Mix groups, whereas placental tissue and amniotic fluid showed more limited, compartment-specific responses. In lamb serum collected after colostrum intake, postnatal age was strongly associated with fatty acid composition, whereas nominal treatment-related differences did not withstand FDR adjustment. Placental architecture remained preserved across treatments, without inflammatory, degenerative, or vascular lesions. Lamb growth performance did not differ significantly among treatments. Overall, maternal lipid supplementation was associated with compartment-specific differences in relative fatty acid composition. Because placental fatty acid transport was not directly assessed, these findings do not demonstrate direct maternal-to-offspring fatty acid transfer.
Related
- Linking Flaxseed Intake to Lipid and Metabolic Health: Associations with Metabolic Dysfunction Indices and LDL-Subfractions in Slovak Menopausal Women
- Metabolically reprogrammed blastoids from totipotent-like stem cells exhibit enhanced tissue-specific organ-like development and placental formation
- Lineage-specific and gestational age–dependent DNA methylation programming orchestrates human placental development
- Bile Acid Stress Disrupts Homeostasis and Placental Functional Programs in Human First-Trimester Trophoblast Organoids
- Prenatal fentanyl and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure disrupt placental function and fetal growth in a mouse model of multidrug use
BibTeX
@article{lewandowska2026effects,
title = {{Effects of Prepartum Flaxseed and Hermetia illucens Oil Supplementation on Fatty Acid Profiles Across the Maternal–Placental–Offspring Axis in Prolific Ewes}},
author = {Kamila Lewandowska and Natalia Pachura-Hanusek and Piotr Kuropka and Antoni Szumny and Robert Kupczyński},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27219740},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9740},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effects of Prepartum Flaxseed and Hermetia illucens Oil Supplementation on Fatty Acid Profiles Across the Maternal–Placental–Offspring Axis in Prolific Ewes
AU - Kamila Lewandowska
AU - Natalia Pachura-Hanusek
AU - Piotr Kuropka
AU - Antoni Szumny
AU - Robert Kupczyński
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27219740
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9740
AB - Maternal dietary lipids may influence fatty acid availability across the maternal–placental–offspring axis. This study evaluated the effects of prepartum supplementation with flaxseed oil (FO), black soldier fly larvae (BSFL; Hermetia illucens) oil, or their 2:1 blend (Mix) in 32 pregnant Olkuska ewes. Ewes in the supplemented groups received 30 g of oil daily for 21 days during late gestation. Fatty acid profiles were determined in maternal serum, placental tissue, amniotic fluid, and lamb serum, together with placental histology and early lamb performance. Maternal serum exhibited the most pronounced treatment- and time-related changes, including increased C14:0 in the BSFL and Mix groups, whereas placental tissue and amniotic fluid showed more limited, compartment-specific responses. In lamb serum collected after colostrum intake, postnatal age was strongly associated with fatty acid composition, whereas nominal treatment-related differences did not withstand FDR adjustment. Placental architecture remained preserved across treatments, without inflammatory, degenerative, or vascular lesions. Lamb growth performance did not differ significantly among treatments. Overall, maternal lipid supplementation was associated with compartment-specific differences in relative fatty acid composition. Because placental fatty acid transport was not directly assessed, these findings do not demonstrate direct maternal-to-offspring fatty acid transfer.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -