Evaluating the quality of feed fats and oils and their effects on pig growth performance

Feed fats and oils provide significant amounts of energy to swine diets, but there is large variation in composition,quality, feeding value, and price among sources. Common measures of lipid quality include moisture, insolubles,and unsaponifiables(MIU), titer, and free fatty acid content, but provide limited information regarding their feeding value. Lipid peroxidation is an important quality factor related to animal growth performance and health, but maximum tolerable limits in various lipids have not been established. Several indicative assays can be used to detect the presence of various peroxidation compounds, but due to the complexity and numerous compounds produced and degraded during peroxidation process, no single method can adequately determine the extent of peroxidation. Until further information is available, using a combination of peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS), and anisidine value appear to provide a reasonable assessment of the extent of peroxidation in a lipid at a reasonable cost. However, fatty acid composition of the lipid being evaluated should be considered when selecting specific assays. Predictive tests can also be used to estimate the stability or susceptibility of lipids to peroxidation and include active oxygen method, oil stability index, and oxygen bomb method. A review of 16 published studies with pigs has shown an average decrease of 11.4% in growth rate, 8.8% feed intake fed isocaloric diets containing peroxidized lipids compared to diets containing unperoxidized lipids of the same source.Furthermore, serum vitamin E content was generally reduced and serum TBARS content was increased when peroxidized lipids were fed in these studies, suggesting that feeding peroxidized lipids negatively affects metabolic oxidative status of pigs. However, it is unclear if antioxidants are useful additions to lipids to maintain optimal nutritional value, or if their addition to swine diets is beneficial in overcoming a metabolic oxidative challenge.     

Evaluating the quality of feed fats and oils and their effects on pig growth performance

Feed fats and oils provide significant amounts of energy to swine diets, but there is large variation in composition, quality, feeding value, and price among sources. Common measures of lipid quality include moisture, insolubles, and unsaponifiables (MIU), titer, and free fatty acid content, but provide limited information regarding their feeding value. Lipid peroxidation is an important quality factor related to animal growth performance and health, but maximum tolerable limits in various lipids have not been established. Several indicative assays can be used to detect the presence of various peroxidation compounds, but due to the complexity and numerous compounds produced and degraded during peroxidation process, no single method can adequately determine the extent of peroxidation. Until further information is available, using a combination of peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and anisidine value appear to provide a reasonable assessment of the extent of peroxidation in a lipid at a reasonable cost. However, fatty acid composition of the lipid being evaluated should be considered when selecting specific assays. Predictive tests can also be used to estimate the stability or susceptibility of lipids to peroxidation and include active oxygen method, oil stability index, and oxygen bomb method. A review of 16 published studies with pigs has shown an average decrease of 11.4% in growth rate, 8.8% feed intake fed isocaloric diets containing peroxidized lipids compared to diets containing unperoxidized lipids of the same source. Furthermore, serum vitamin E content was generally reduced and serum TBARS content was increased when peroxidized lipids were fed in these studies, suggesting that feeding peroxidized lipids negatively affects metabolic oxidative status of pigs. However, it is unclear if antioxidants are useful additions to lipids to maintain optimal nutritional value, or if their addition to swine diets is beneficial in overcoming a metabolic oxidative challenge.     

Effect of dietary omega-3 fatty acids on red blood cell lipid composition and plasma metabolites in the cockatiel, Nymphicus hollandicus

Although dietary n-3 fatty acids have been extensively studied in poultry, they have not yet been prospectively investigated in psittacines, despite potential benefits for preventing and treating atherosclerosis, osteoarthritis, and other chronic disease processes. The objectives of this study were to investigate the incorporation of dietary n-3 fatty acids into red blood cells (RBC) and to determine the effects of supplementation of psittacine diets with fish or flax oil on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in the cockatiel. Adult cockatiels were fed a custom-formulated diet containing either 4% (wt/wt, as-fed) beef tallow (CON), 3% fish oil + 1% tallow (FSH), or 3.5% flax oil + 0.5% tallow (FLX; n = 20 per diet group). Baseline measurements were obtained for RBC fatty acid composition, triacylglycerides (TAG), and cholesterol. After 8 to 13 wk on the study diets, plasma chemistry profiles, lipoprotein density profiles, and RBC fatty acid composition were determined. At 8 wk, total plasma cholesterol was least in FSH birds (P < 0.05) and TAG concentrations were less in FSH birds than FLX birds (P < 0.05). Total n-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid were markedly greater in the RBC of FSH birds than FLX or CON birds (P < 0.05). Alpha linolenic acid was greatest in FLX (P < 0.05). Initial and final BW, and nonlipid plasma chemistry values did not differ among diet groups. No adverse effects of dietary supplementation of cockatiels with 3.5% flax oil or 3% fish oil were observed during the 13-wk feeding period. Although fish and flax oils provided similar total n-3 PUFA to the diets, fish oil caused greater reductions in cholesterol and TAG, and greater total RBC n-3 incorporation. Thus, dietary modification of psittacine diets with long chain n-3 PUFA from fish oil appears safe and may be beneficial to these long-lived companion birds.     

Fatty acid composition of tissue lipids of growing geese fed cholesterol and cholic acid

In laboratory animals, dietary cholesterol has been shown to cause increased levels of lipids in plasma and liver, and additionally markedly raises liver weights (Lee and Ho 1975; Huang et al. 1984; Stangl et al. 1994). In poultry, similar studies dealing with the effects of cholesterol are lacking. An effect of cholesterol on liver weights could be of particular interest in geese since the production of fatty livers ('Foie gras') by force-feeding techniques is common in some countries. Therefore, a previous study (Eder 1999) was concerned with the effects of feeding cholesterol on concentrations of various lipids in liver, plasma and muscle. This study demonstrated that dietary cholesterol has profound effects on lipid concentrations in liver, plasma and even in the muscle of geese which were additionally amplified by feeding cholic acid. This study was performed to investigate whether an accumulation of cholesterol in tissues also affects the metabolism of fatty acids. This question was of particular interest because it is known that both, cholesterol and fatty acids are constituents of membranes influencing important membrane properties such as fluidity, permeability or the activity of membrane-bound enzymes (Stubbs and Smith 1984). In order to clarify that question, the fatty acid composition was analysed in various tissues of geese that had been fed diets with cholesterol and/or cholic acid.     

Lipid concentrations of fillets, liver, plasma and lipoproteins of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822), fed diets with varying protein concentrations

This study investigated the effect of the dietary protein concentration on lipid concentrations in fillet and liver and concentrations of lipids in plasma and lipoproteins in African catfish. Two experiments were carried out, in which African catfish were fed diets with various protein concentrations. In experiment 1, semisynthetic diets with various concentrations of casein (350, 450 or 550 g protein/kg) were used. In experiment 2, diets were based on a commercial trout diet supplemented with various amounts of casein or carbohydrates, resulting in protein concentrations between 282 and 545 g/kg diet. In both experiments, the dietary protein concentration had a significant effect on growth, feed conversion ratio and carcass composition. Maximum of body weight gains and feed efficiency ratios were reached in both experiments at the highest dietary protein concentrations. Increasing the dietary protein concentration continuously increased masses of fillets and reduced masses of the liver and adipose tissue in the abdominal cavity. Fish fed the diets with the highest protein concentrations had the lowest concentration of total lipids, triglycerides and cholesterol in the fillets, the highest percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in total lipids of fillets and the lowest concentrations of saturated fatty acids (SFA). Fish fed the diets with the highest protein concentration also had the lowest concentrations of triglycerides in the liver, the highest percentages of PUFA in liver total lipids and the lowest percentages of SFA. Moreover, fish fed diets with high protein concentrations (501 and 545 g/kg) had significantly lower concentrations of triglycerides, cholesterol and phospholipids in plasma than fish fed diets with lower protein concentrations. In conclusion, this study shows that the dietary protein concentration does not only influence growth, feed efficiency and carcass composition in African catfish, but also influences their lipid metabolism and lipid concentrations of liver and fillet.     

Effects of saturated and unsaturated fats with vitamin E supplementation on the antioxidant status of broiler chicken tissues

The influence of fish oil (highly unsaturated) and beef tallow (highly saturated) with vitamin E (100 IU/kg) supplementation on the antioxidant status of broiler chicken cockerels was investigated. Chicks were fed a control diet with no added fat, 40 g/kg each of fish oil and beef tallow diets, respectively, from 11 to 42 days of age. Tocopherol concentration and the rate of lipid peroxidation, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) in liver, fatty acid composition of the liver lipids, blood serum total antioxidant status (TAS), and reduced glutathione (GSH) content were determined. Vitamin E supplementation of the diet increased liver alpha-tocopherol content in chicks regardless of the type of dietary fat. Fish oil diet resulted in higher liver TBARS value while beef tallow diet showed lower values compared to the control diet. Vitamin E supplementation reduced liver TBARS as well as serum GSH, and raised serum TAS for all diets. Serum GSH was the same for vitamin E supplemented diets regardless of the fat supplement. Fish oil diets resulted in a significant increase in hepatic lipid n-3 PUFA content. A significant positive correlation was found between liver TBARS and n-3 PUFA content. No relationships were established, however, between liver TBARS and n-6 PUFA or saturated fatty acids. The results suggest that feeding oils rich in n-3 PUFA increases tissue concentration of these fatty acids, consequently increasing tissue lipid peroxidation and reducing the antioxidative status of broiler chickens. Supplementing high levels of vitamin E with such oils may increase tissue oxidative stability. Serum TAS or GSH may be used as a measure of antioxidative status in chickens.     

Biochemical and histological effects of feeding thermally oxidized rapeseed oil and lard to rats.

Four groups of weanling rats were fed semisynthetic diets containing 15 percent by weight of dietary fats for 28 days. Two groups received thermally oxidized low-erucic acid rapeseed oil (OLE) or lard (OLA) and the other two groups received the respective fresh fats (FLE, FLA) as controls. Average daily feed consumption and feed efficiency were not affected by either OLE or OLA, however final body weights were depressed by the OLA in the diet. The relative heart weights and heart total lipids were significantly increased in both the OLE and OLA groups. A majority of the animals in both the OLE and OLA groups exhibited various gross symptoms attributable to heated fat toxicity such as seborrhea, diarrhea and polyuria. Excessive hair loss was noted in all the animals fed the heated fats. Tissue fatty acid changes due to OLA were confined largely to the polar liver lipids, whereas OLE produced dramatic changes in both the neutral heart lipids as well as in the neutral and polar liver lipids. Histological evaluation of the hearts, livers and kidneys indicated that OLA was very injurious to the kidneys, whereas OLE caused greater damage to both the hearts and livers.     

Effects of dietary n-6 or n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids protected or not against ruminal hydrogenation on plasma lipids and their susceptibility to peroxidation in fattening steers

Two experiments were conducted using crossbred Salers x Charolais fattening steers fed diets enriched with no supplemental oilseeds or oils rich in either n-6 PUFA (from sunflower seeds) or n-3 PUFA (from linseeds) provided either as seeds incorporated in the diet (i.e., not protected from ruminal bacterial hydrogenation) or by chronic infusion into the duodenum (protected form). In the Sunflower experiment, animals (initial age = 454 +/- 20 d; initial BW = 528 +/- 36 kg) received a control diet for 70 d (CS, n = six) consisting of hay and concentrate, or the same basal diet supplemented with sunflower oil (4% of dietary DM), either fed as seeds (SS, n = six) or infused into the duodenum (ISO, n = six). The same experimental design was applied to animals (initial age = 412 +/- 33 d; initial BW = 536 +/- 33 kg) used in the Linseed experiment (CL, LS, and ILO; n = 8 per group). For all animals, blood was sampled every 15 d during 70 d. In both trials, a significant diet x time interaction (P < 0.001) was detected for plasma concentrations of apolipoprotein A-I, phospholipids, and free and esterified cholesterol, with values increasing with time during administration of the PUFA-rich diets being more evident with ISO and ILO diets. Plasma fatty acids were altered with oil infusions, with increased concentrations of n-6 (1.6-fold; P < 0.05) and n-3 PUFA (4.5-fold; P < 0.05) and of their respective indicies of peroxidizability (1.2- and 1.5-fold with Diets ISO and ILO, respectively; P < 0.05). In vitro copper-induced peroxidation of lipids revealed a decreased length of the lag phase in the process of conjugated diene generation by 48% (P < 0.005) with the ILO diet, indicating less resistance against peroxidation than in control steers. Compared with CS, the ISO treatment increased plasma alpha-tocopherol (x2.5; P < 0.05) leading to similar resistance against peroxidation. After depletion of this vitamin, the rates of peroxidation and production of conjugated dienes were greater (twofold; P < 0.05) with the ISO and ILO diets than with the others. In conclusion, infusion of sunflower or linseed oil into the duodenum altered the composition and distribution of plasma lipids and increased the plasma concentration of PUFA. The sensitivity of plasma PUFA to peroxidation depends on the plasma level of antioxidants, especially vitamin E, a nutrient important both for the health of animals and for the stability of the blood lipids until their tissue deposit.     

Dietary Ascorbyl Monophosphate Depresses Lipid Peroxidation in Rainbow Trout Spermatozoa

Abstract

This study was designed to analyze lipid peroxidation in spermatozoa of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss by an optimized thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method, and to evaluate the effect of graded levels of dietary antioxidant (ascorbic acid in the form of ascorbyl monophosphate, AP) on TBA values of spermatozoa. Sperm from rainbow trout fed diets supplemented with AP at 0, 110, or 870 mg/kg were sampled during the reproductive season. The group given the unsupplemented diet had the lowest ascorbic acid concentration in seminal plasma during most of the spermiation season compared with groups fed diets with AP While the ascorbic acid concentration in seminal plasma decreased toward the end of the reproductive season, spermatozoa malondialdehyde production, indicative of increasing peroxidation, tended to increase. At the end of the season, significant differences (P < 0.05) were found in peroxidation levels in spermatozoa from fish fed different levels of ascorbic acid. The most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid in sperm lipids, docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6), was significantly lower in lipids from spermatozoa of the AP-devoid (control) group than in the 870-mg/kg supplement group. By the end of the reproductive season, spermatozoa from the control group had significantly higher peroxidation levels than did spermatozoa from fish given AP (110 and 870 mg/kg). Thus, it is the first evidence in fish that dietary AP supplements can increase seminal plasma ascorbic acid concentrations, and it suggests that peroxidative damage to spermatozoa can be reduced during the reproductive season, which in turn may affect sperm fertilizing ability.     

Effects of Different Fat Supplements on Growth and Hepatic Lipids and Fatty Acids in Male Mink

Male mink kits (n=10 for each group) were fed diets supplemented with different fats for 12 weeks (September-November). The levels of digestible fat (8%) and energy content (7 MJ kg-1) of the diets were equal. The supplements used were beef pork fat, mink fat, broiler offal, rainbow trout offal, capelin oil, soybean oil and linseed oil. The growth and hepatic lipids (analysed by a thin-layer chromatography- flame ionization detection analyser) and fatty acid composition (analysed by gas-liquid chromatography) were studied. The pattern of weight gain of the mink fed the beef pork diet differed from that of the other mink. These kits reached high but delayed weight maxima compared with the other mink but then during November they lost weight rapidly. In liver, both the capelin oil- and linseed oil-fed mink had large concentrations of total lipids and triacylglycerols. The mink fed capelin oil were significantly heavier. The fatty acid analyses of hepatic total lipids and phospholipids revealed that the f -linolenic acid (18:3 n-3) of linseed oil was not efficiently metabolized to longer chain and more unsaturated fatty acids important for cellular membranes. It is discussed that 18:3 n-3 may not be as valuable for growing mink kits as the polyunsaturated fatty acids of the fish oils.     

Influence of plant lecithin partly replacing rumen-protected fat on digestion, metabolic traits and performance of dairy cows

Nutrient digestibility, metabolic effects and performance were evaluated in lactating cows (n = 6 × 6) receiving diets containing one of four different lecithins (raw, deoiled and deoiled/partially hydrolysed soy lecithin, raw canola lecithin) or soybean oil in combination with Ca soaps of palm oil fatty acids in a ratio of 1 : 3. A diet supplemented only with Ca soaps served as a control. The complete diets consisted of forage and concentrate (0.62 : 0.38) and total lipid supplementation was 30 g fatty acids/kg dietary dry matter. Lecithins had no effect on milk yield and milk composition. Apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and gross energy were highest in the control diet and lowest in the soybean oil diet (p < 0.1) with intermediate values for the lecithin‐supplemented diets. Soybean oil particularly reduced fibre digestibility (significant with hemicellulose), whereas this effect was reduced or even missing when lecithins, particularly raw canola lecithin and deoiled/hydrolysed soy lecithin, were used. The digestibility of total fatty acids was not affected by the treatments. The effects were also not significant for blood plasma traits except for insulin which was significantly higher with raw than with deoiled/hydrolysed soy lecithin. In conclusion, lecithins, particularly those technologically modified or of a low polyenoic fatty acid content, might be preferred to oils when used as an energy source whereas they failed to improve digestibility of rumen‐protected fats.     

Effects of dietary fat type and xylanase supplementation in rye containing diets on energy metabolism in male broilers

Xylanase supplementation of rye-based diets which contained 10% beef tallow was shown to markedly improve the digestibility of fat whereas the enzyme effect in diets containing 10% soya oil was much less pronounced (Dänicke et al. 1997b). Such interactions between fat type and xylanase supplementation have also been reported for wheat–rye-based diets (Langhout et al. 1997) and wheat-based diets (Allen et al. 1997) and were attributed mainly to the fatty acid composition of different types of fat and to changes in digesta viscosity caused by soluble pentosan. The apparent metabolizable energy, N-corrected (AME_N) contents of such diets were affected in a similar manner suggesting that energy metabolism is also influenced by xylanase supplementation and the type of dietary fat. However, changes in the metabolizability of gross energy does not necessarily indicate whether the efficiency of metabolizable energy (ME) for energy gain is changed nor if different proportions of ME are used for maintaining an energy equilibrium, i.e. ME maintenance requirement. In addition, studies suggest that both dietary fat level and fat type might exert effects on the efficiency of utilization of ME for energy retention (Carew and Hill 1964; de Groote et al. 1971; Fuller and Rendon 1979; Brue and Latshaw 1985). Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the partitioning of ME between maintenance needs and energy retained as protein and as fat when feeding rye-based diets. The diets contained either soya oil or beef tallow and were either unsupplemented or xylanase-supplemented.     

Effect of dietary alternative lipid sources on haematological parameters and serum constituents of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heterobranchus longifilis</Emphasis> fingerlings

The worldwide increase in aquaculture production and the decrease of wild fish stocks has made the replacement of fish oil (FO) in aquafeed industry a priority. Therefore, the use of terrestrial animal fats and vegetable oils, which has lower cost and larger supplies, may be good as substitute for FO. This study investigate the effects of total replacement of FO by two terrestrial animal fats (pork lard and poultry fat) and three vegetable oils (palm kernel oil, sheabutter oil and sunflower oil) on haematological and serum biochemical profile of Heterobranchus longifilis over 70 days. FO-diet was used as the control. The haematological parameters were significantly affected by dietary lipid sources. Serum total protein was not influenced by the dietary lipids. However, serum cholesterol was significantly higher in fish fed diet containing sunflower oil. Glucose and activities of liver enzymes in blood serum were significantly reduced in fish fed alternative lipids when compared with the control. These results indicate that FO can be replaced completely with alternative lipids without any serious negative health impacts.     

Free amino acids in plasma of neonatal calves are influenced by feeding colostrum for different durations or by feeding only milk replacer1

Introduction Newborn development is characterized by high protein synthesis and nitrogen (N) turnover rates in many tissues, especially in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (G oldspink and K elly 1984; Y oung et al. 1988; S immen et al. 1990; X u 1996). Colostrum provides particularly large amounts of nutrients (especially proteins) and immunoglobulins as well as non-nutrient growth-promoting factors; it therefore plays a major role in the development of the neonatal gut, especially protein synthesis, and other organs, as shown in several species including cattle (B erseth et al. 1983; P atureau M irand et al. 1990; C ampana and B aumrucker 1995; O dle et al. 1996; X u 1996; B urrin et al. 1997). Rates of body protein synthesis and N turnover were greater during enteral than during parenteral feeding, indicating considerable involvement of the GI tract in protein metabolism (D uffy and P encharz 1986). Protein components in colostrum provided about 35% of amino acids (AA) in newborn lambs, suggesting that amounts of ingested protein with colostrum greatly influence the AA status of the neonate (Y von et al. 1993). Glutamine and glutamate are the most abundant AA in bovine milk protein (M eijer et al. 1993) and glutamine is of special interest for postnatal gut development (S ouba 1991; K imura 1996; H eird 1998). The glutamine:glutamate ratio was markedly changed in neonatal calves (D emign & eacute ; and R& eacute ; m & eacute ; sy 1979) after colostrum intake. Recently, we have demonstrated that gut growth and absorptive capacity of the intestine, as well as metabolic and endocrine changes in newborn calves, are greatly dependent on amounts of ingested colostrum (H ammon and B lum 1997, 1998; B& uuml ; hler et al. 1998). Based on that AA absorption, metabolism and status may be influenced by amounts of fed colostrum. Therefore in this study we have tested the hypothesis that feeding colostrum for different durations, or feeding only milk replacer, affects plasma protein and free AA concentrations during the first week of life in calves.     

Effect of dietary cereal on liver and plasma lipids in laying Japanese quail

1. In three experiments the effect of diets containing maize or wheat on hepatic and plasma lipids in laying japanese quail were studied. In two of these diets of equal energy, nitrogen and fat contents were used. 2. Liver weight, relative to body weight, liver lipid content and plasma lipid concentration were greater in birds fed on maize-containing diets. 3. The maize-containing diet also produced more (14 : 0, 16 : 0, 16 : 1 and 18 : 1) and less (18 : 0, 18 : 2 and 20 :4) fatty acids in the liver lipid. 4. Egg production was not affected by the treatments. 5. The effect of dietary cereal on hepatic and plasma lipids may be due to altered lipogenesis and the quail may be a useful model for the laying hen with respect to hepatic lipid accumulation.     

Chokeberry polyphenols reduce prooxidative influence of oxidized fats in rat diets

The aim of the study was to estimate nutritional and physiological consequences of combined supplementation of rat casein diets with a strongly oxidized mixture of fats and extract of polyphenols from chokeberry. The experiment was conducted on 80 young Wistar rats divided into 8 groups. The animals were fed diets supplemented with 8% of fresh or oxidized fats and 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2% of polyphenol extract together. Addition of the oxidized fats caused significant reduction in animal growth without a decrease in nitrogen digestibility. On the other hand, the extract of polyphenols suppressed nitrogen utilization; animal growth was however similar to the control group. Analysis of the variance showed negative influence of the oxidized fats on cholesterol and triacyloglycerol concentration in the blood of the experimental animals. Increased activity of both aminotransferases in the blood of rats fed diets containing the oxidized fats indicated on liver malfunction. There was no effect of the experimental factors on the antioxidant status of the blood, but a dose-dependent reduced content of malonylodialdehyde in the blood of rats fed diets supplemented with the extract of polyphenols suggested that the extract had a preventive effect against prooxidative activity of the oxidized fats.     

l-carnitine supplementation and lipid metabolism of rats fed a hyperlipidaemic diet

Until now, there has been no clear knowledge about the effect of dietary carnitine supplementation on lipid metabolism. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of a dietary l -carnitine supplementation (500 mg/kg) onx the lipid metabolism of adult rats. Rats fed a hyperlipidaemic basal diet containing 15% lard and 1% cholesterol were used as an animal model. The feeding period was 6 weeks. As parameters of lipid metabolism, the concentrations of individual lipids in plasma, lipoproteins and liver and the fatty acid composition of liver and erythrocyte total lipids were determined. There were no significant differences between the control group and the group receiving the diet supplemented with carnitine on parameters of animal performance (daily body weight gains and feed conversion ratio). As expected, plasma, very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and liver exhibited high concentrations of cholesterol. Concentrations of triglycerides and phospholipids in plasma and individual lipoproteins as well as the concentrations of triglycerides, cholesterol and phospholipids in the liver were not significantly altered by dietary carnitine supplementation. The concentration of cholesterol in plasma and liver was increased by dietary carnitine. The fatty acid composition of liver and erythrocyte total lipids was not influenced by dietary carnitine supplementation. In conclusion, this study does not indicate a lipid-lowering effect of dietary carnitine supplementation in hyperlipidaemic rats. Probably, the essential functions of carnitine in metabolism were realized by carnitine which was synthesized endogenously.     

Influence of dietary long-chain n-3 fatty acids from menhaden fish oil on plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol in geriatric beagles

OBJECTIVE: To determine effects of dietary n-3 fatty acids from Menhaden fish oil on plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations in Beagles. ANIMALS: 32 female Beagles. PROCEDURE: For 82 days, dogs were fed diets that contained 1 of 2 ratios of n-6:n-3 fatty acids (40:1 [low n-3] and 1.4:1 [high n-3]) and 1 of 3 concentrations of all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (low, 17 mg/kg of diet; medium, 101 mg/kg; and high, 447 mg/kg) in a 2 X 3 factorial study. RESULTS: Diets high in n-3 fatty acids significantly increased total content of n-3 fatty acids in plasma (17.0 g/100 g of fatty acids), compared with low n-3 diets (2.02 g/100 g of fatty acids). Mean +/- SEM plasma concentration of cholesterol was significantly lower in dogs consuming high n-3 diets (4.59 +/- 0.48 mmol/L), compared with dogs consuming low n-3 diets (5.71 +/- 0.48 mmol/L). A significant interaction existed between the ratio for n-6 and n-3 fatty acids and amount of alpha-tocopheryl acetate in the diet (plasma alpha-tocopherol concentration expressed on a molar basis), because the plasma concentration of alpha-toco-pherol was higher in dogs consuming low n-3 diets, compared with those consuming high n-3 diets, at the 2 higher amounts of dietary alpha-tocopheryl acetate. Plasma alpha-tocopherol concentration expressed relative to total lipid content did not reveal effects of dietary n-3 fatty acids on concentration of alpha-tocopherol. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Plasma alpha-tocopherol concentration is not dependent on dietary ratio of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids when alpha-tocopherol concentration is expressed relative to the total lipid content of plasma.     

Effect of dietary oils and alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation on lipid (TBARS) and cholesterol oxidation in cooked pork

The effect of n-3 fatty acid-enriched diets (in the form of 0.5% linseed oil with either 1.5% sunflower oil or 1.5% olive oil) and alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation (200 mg/kg feed) on lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, TBARS) and cholesterol oxide products (COPS) in cooked pork was investigated. Longissimus muscle was studied. Meat from pigs fed 0.5% linseed oil-enriched diets had a higher proportion of n-3 fatty acid than meat from pigs in other dietary groups in neutral (P < 0.0001) and polar lipids (P < 0.0001), and a 20% reduction in the n-6:n-3 ratio was observed. Alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation increased (P < 0.05) monounsaturated fatty acids in polar lipids and increased (P = 0.0001) alpha-tocopherol levels in muscle. Alpha-tocopherol concentration in muscle was affected by dietary fat (P < 0.05). Groups receiving diets enriched with sunflower oil had significantly higher alpha-tocopherol levels (P < 0.05) in muscle than those groups receiving olive oil-enriched diets. Numbers of TBARS were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the group fed supplemental olive oil than in those fed sunflower oil. Dietary linseed oil increased (P < 0.05) lipid oxidation principally at the initial period of storage in cooked pork. Overall, dietary alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation significantly increased (P < 0.001) lipid stability and decreased (P < 0.05) total COP production across the dietary groups. Alpha-tocopherol was a more effective antioxidant for decreasing TBARS values in cooked meat when adding sunflower oil to the diets instead of olive oil.     

Effect of dietary fat on mineral retention in the chick

Chicks were fed seven experimental diets to determine whether the level or type of dietary fat affected the retention of calcium, iron, magnesium or zinc. It was found that the presence of any type of fat at or above the 5 per cent level decreased the retention of all four. Retention decreased with increasing dietary fat concentration and increased with increasing absorbability of the fat. For fats of similar absorbabilities, minerals were more poorly retained when the fat was present as free fatty acid. Lowest mineral retention occurred with poorly absorbed free fatty acid.