Essential fatty acids and early life programming in meat-type birds

Egg fat is of considerable importance in the nutrition of the developing chick as a source of energy and essential fatty acids such as linoleic (18:2 n-6) and a-linolenic (18:3 n-3) acids. During incubation, yolk lipids provide fatty acids that are utilized for energy, synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)-rich membrane phospholipids, and eicosanoids by the embryo. Eicosanoids derived from n-6 fatty acid are more potent and pro-inflammatory than eicosanoids derived from n-3 fatty acids