| Summary: | Linking the early life environment with later health status is known as “developmental programming”. This study aimed to assess whether the introduction of conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) into the maternal diet affects the content fatty acids (FAs), conjugated FAs (CFAs), cholesterol, oxysterols, malondialdehyde (MDA) and tocopherols in the hearts of their female offspring treated with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and if offspring supplementation enhanced the effect of maternal supplementation. FA, cholesterol and oxysterol contents were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, while contents of CFAs and MDA were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with photodiode detection. The supplementation of mothers with CLAs significantly decreased the amount of atherogenic saturated FAs and enhanced the level of eicosapentaenoic FA in the hearts of offspring. Continuous progeny supplementation decreased the content of arachidonic acid in hearts. Supplementation of the maternal diet with CLAs and its continuation during the postnatal period increased the ratio of hypo to hypercholesterolemic FAs. Significantly fewer oxysterols were detected in the hearts of progeny of dams fed with CLAs as compared to the offspring of mothers receiving safflower oil. Both fetal and postnatal CLA intake significantly reduced 7β-hydroxycholesterol accumulation. It can be concluded that CLA supplementation during the fetal and postnatal period may be an effective method of maintaining the cardiac health status of newborns.
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