Table 4.

Plasma oxidative status at different time points according to supplementation.

	MCT-S (n = 10)	ARA:DHA-S (n = 12)	p-Value
Catalase activity (U catalase/mg protein)
At birth	3.37 (3.16)	3.86 (1.45)	0.644
At 28 DPL	3.04 (1.63)	4.61 (0.89)	0.085
At 36 WPA	2.86 (0.94)	4.74 (0.40) *	0.025
Total thiol groups (mM GSH/mg protein)
At birth	0.013 (0.011)	0.011 (0.002)	0.337
At 28 DPL	0.007 (0.002)	0.010 (0.005)	0.134
At 36 WPA	0.007 (0.002)	0.009 (0.003)	0.113
Reduced glutathione (mg GSH/mg protein)
At birth	0.15 (0.22)	0.20 (0.08)	0.915
At 28 DPL	0.09 (0.26)	0.25 (0.12)	0.135
At 36 WPA	0.07 (0.12)	0.26 (0.19) *	0.021
Antiox-S (arbitrary units)
At birth	−0.10 (1.64)	0.03 (0.52)	0.702
At 28 DPL	−0.63 (1.11)	0.36 (0.35)	0.069
At 36 WPA	−0.67 (0.96)	0.55 (0.35) *	0.045
Malondialdehyde (μmol/ml)
At birth	4.36 (1.44)	6.46 (2.27)	0.118
At 28 DPL	2.79 (0.68)	4.63 (1.29) *	0.005
At 36 WPA	2.41 (0.90)	4.81 (3.70) *	0.008
Total carbonyl groups (nmol/mg protein)
At birth	0.29 (0.36)	0.25 (0.20)	0.670
At 28 DPL	0.25 (0.29)	0.42 (0.40)	0.342
At 36 WPA	0.12 (0.14)	0.22 (0.27)	0.556
Proxy-S (arbitrary units)
At birth	−0.01 (1.24)	0.38 (0.72)	0.382
At 28 DPL	−0.29 (0.43)	0.39 (0.93)	0.052
At 36 WPA	−0.27 (0.64)	0.27 (1.15) *	0.010
Antiox-S:Proxy-S (arbitrary units)
At birth	1.19 (2.18)	0.07 (1.22)	0.148
At 28 DPL	0.93 (4.10)	0.43 (0.62)	0.995
At 36 WPA	0.80 (1.38)	0.79 (8.37)	0.456

Data show medians (IQR). Days of postnatal life (DPL), weeks of postmenstrual age (WPA). p-values compare ARA:DHA-S with MCT-S at each point. Supplements were given in three aliquots, at 9:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m., and 12:00 a.m. * p < 0.05; Mann–Whitney U test.