Preference for vegetable oils in the two-bottle choice test in mice

Abstract

We evaluated in mice their preference for different vegetable oils using the two-bottle choice test. Mice showed preference for all vegetable oils (at 1% concentration in emulsion) tested, including corn oil, canola oil, and mixed vegetable oil, compared to a control fluid without oil. Mice also significantly preferred highly palatable sucrose solutions (5–20%) in this test. One percent corn oil was selected to the same extent as were these sucrose solutions. Mixtures of 1% corn oil and several concentrations of sucrose were preferentially selected as compared to corn oil or sucrose alone. The concentration-response curves of oil-sucrose mixtures vs sucrose (0.5–20% concentrations) were similar to those of sucrose vs control solutions. These results suggest that 1% corn oil and sucrose at the concentrations tested did not affect each other's preference. Chronic intake of 20% sucrose solution, but not 100% corn oil, changed the preference for lower concentrations of each, and both induced remarkable increases in body weight of mice. In conclusion, we showed that mice preferred vegetable oils, and this preference compared favorably with highly palatable sucrose solutions and was not changed by chronic intake of corn oil.