Polyethenoid fatty acid metabolism. V. Proöxidant-antioxidant effect

Abstract

1. 1. Fat-deficient rats have been supplemented with linoleate or linolenate alone, and with these plus tocopherol or benzoyl peroxide in an attempt to learn if “oxidative or reductive status” of the animal has any effect upon the metabolic conversions of linoleate and linolenate to more highly unsaturated acid. 2. 2. The conversions of linoleate to arachidonate, linolenate to arachidonate, and linolenate to hexaenoate are not affected by supplementation with either tocopherol or benzoyl peroxide in the test doses of unsaturated esters. However, the conversion of linoleate to hexaenoate is greatly increased by feeding the proöxidant, benzoyl peroxide, with the test doses of linoleate. 3. 3. Growth response is greatest when benzoyl peroxide is fed with the linoleate, least when benzoyl peroxide is fed alone. Thus the apparent toxic effect of benzoyl peroxide is reversed when fed with unsaturated fat. 4. 4. Total body fatty acids is greatest when benzoyl peroxide is fed with unsaturated ester, least when benzoyl peroxide is fed alone.