Maternal intake of alpha-lipoic acid prevents development of symptoms associated with a fructose-rich diet in the male offspring in Wistar rats.

The hypothesis was that maternal intake of the antioxidant alpha-lipoid acid (ALA), during the developmental period of the hypothalamic orexigenic neurons, causes a permanent beneficial effect in offspring metabolism. Pregnant Wistar rats were fed with standard diet (food) + ALA (0.4% wt/wt) from day 14 of gestation to day 20 of lactation (n = 4) or food (n = 4).