Effect of palm oil on plasma lipoprotein concentrations and plasma low-density lipoprotein composition in non-human primates

Abstract

Palm oil (PO) contains ˜43% of palmitic acid. It is the most abundant saturated fattyacid in the diet and it is generally considered the primary cholesterol (C)-raisingfatty acid. However, the effect of palmitic acid on plasma cholesterol appears todepend on the cholesterol content of the diet. The aim of this study was to determinethe effect of PO with either a high-fat, high-C or moderate-fat, moderate-C diet onlipoprotein C and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) composition. Fifty adult, malevervet monkeys were randomly assigned to the high-fat diet group (HFD: 35%E fat,˜0.106mg C/kJ; n = 20) and the moderate-fat diet group (MFD: 30%E fat, ˜0.027mgC/kJ; n = 30). Baseline LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-C and body weightwere used to stratify the vervets into comparable experimental groups within eachdietary group. The HFD group was divided into two groups of 10 each: one groupcontinued with the HFD in which 8.1%E was derived from lard (AF); in the othergroup, AF was substituted isocalorically with PO. The MFD group was divided intothree groups of 10 each: one group continued with the MFD in which 11.8%E wasderived from AF; in the other two groups, the AF was substituted isocalorically witheither sunflower oil (SO) or PO. This article presents preliminary results on plasmalipoproteins and LDL composition after 6 months of dietary intervention. Plasmatotal and LDL-C was higher in all the groups, but the mean changes elicited by POwith either the HFD or MFD were no different from that observed with AF and SO.There was no difference in the mean change of LDL molecular weight within theHFD and MFD. It is concluded that PO is no different from AF (HFD and MFD) orSO (MFD) in its cholesterolaemic effect.