Effect on rat blood and aorta lipids of three edible oils (arachid, sunflower and primor) with low saturated fatty acid content.

Abstract

Arachid, sunflower and primor oils, which are all poor in saturated fatty acids and differ, in particular, in their oleic, linoleic and linolenic acid content, were fed to rats throughout one short and one long experiment. In the short experiment (1 month), they were given a hyperlipidic diet (35% of total food weight) and in the long experiment (1 year) a normolipidic diet (6% of total food weight). The chief results observed were as follows. Diminished weight gain of rats ingesting sunflower oil in the long experiment when compared with the other two groups. Absence of significant differences in cholesterolemia, triglyceridemia and phospholipidemia, depending on the type of oil ingested. A significant rise in glycemia for rats absorbing sunflower oil in the short experiment, thus confirming our previous observations. A significant rise in blood urea in rats ingesting primor oil in the short experiment. A significant rise in proteinemia in rats absorbing primor oil in both experiments. Very similar fatty acid composition for serum triglycerides and free fatty acids, with a high linoleic acid content in animals absorbing sunflower oil (this only applied to the short experiment with a hyperlipidic diet). Identical fatty acid composition of serum phospholipids, which were also rich in stearic acid and to a lesser extent in arachidonic acid (this applied to all diets and experiments). Identical fatty acid composition of serum cholesterol esters, also rich in arachidonic acid, for all diets and experiments. Very similar fatty acid composition for aorta triglycerides and free fatty acids which, like the corresponding serum fractions, also had a high linoleic acid content in the sunflower oil group, in the short experiment (animals on a hyperlipidic diet). Identical fatty acid composition of aorta phospholipids whatever the diet or type of experiment. This composition is very similar that of serum phospholipids (i.e. particularly rich in stearic acid and fairly rich in arachidonic acid). A fatty acid composition for aorta cholesterol esters completely different from that of serum cholesterol esters, the first being rich in palmitoleate and laurate; the nature of this difference depends on the oil ingested, since palmitoleate was chiefly found in rats absorbing primor oil, and laurate in animals on the sunflower oil diet.