Fatty Acid Composition of Plasma and Liver Lipid Components as Influenced by Diet in the Growing Chick

Abstract

The influence of dietary protein and cholesterol on plasma and liver lipids and on their component fatty acid composition was studied in growing chicks. Increased dietary protein decreased plasma and α-lipoprotein lipid levels and increased liver cholesterol. Cholesterol supplementation elevated plasma and liver lipids but decreased α-lipoprotein lipids. In general, feeding a low-protein or a cholesterol-supplemented diet resulted in similar fatty acid changes. Both treatments resulted in significantly increased oleic and decreased arachidonic acid levels in the plasma cholesterol esters, glycerides and phospholipids. The oleic acid level of the liver lipids was also higher in chicks fed the low-protein or cholesterol-supplemented diets. The dietary treatments tended to decrease linoleic acid levels particularly in the cholesterol ester fraction. The cholesterol ester fraction showed the most consistent changes.