Nutritional and toxicological evaluation of mango kernel oil

Abstract

AbstractMango‐kernel fat is a solid fat at room temperature and has a melting point of ca. 35 C. The fat was analyzed for its physico‐chemical properties. It is rich in equal amounts of stearic and oleic acids (42%). Nutritional and toxicological evaluation of this fat was carried out by multigeneration breeding studies in weanling albino rats, feeding them mango‐kernel fat or groundnut oil (GNO) at a 10% level in a 20% protein diet that was adequate in vitamins and minerals. The feed‐efficiency ratio and growth rate of rats fed mango‐kernel fat were comparable with the control group. Studies of calcium, phosphorous and nitrogen balance showed that the retention of these nutrients was not adversely affected by the mango‐fat intake. The apparent digestibility of mango fat was comparable with GNO when fed to rats. Toxicological evaluation of the fat showed a comparable reproductive performance with the GNO‐fed animals. Liver serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and total lipids were found to be within normal levels. The organ weights of the various tissues of the animals of both groups in the last generation were comparable. Histopathological studies of various organs revealed no abnormalities. These studies indicate that mangokernel fat can substitute for any solid fat without adverse effect.