The effect of triacylglycerol chain length on food intake in domestic fowl

Abstract

Triacylglycerols of varying chain lengths were tested for their effects on food intake in fasted Single-Comb White Leghorn cockerels 9–12 weeks of age. Tributyrin, tricaprylin, triolein, or saline were intubated intragastrically or infused intrahepatically. All triacylglycerol administrations were in 10 ml volumes with 10 kcal being infused intrahepatically and 10 or 20 kcal being infused intragastrically. When administered intragastrically, the short-chained triacylglycerol tributyrin decreased food intake at most times tested; the medium chain-length tricaprylin and the long chain-length triolein affected food intake sporadically. When infused into the liver, tributyrin and tricaprylin decreased food intake at most times tested, whereas triolein decreased food intake at 60 and 180 minutes only. Satiating effectiveness was related to triacylglycerol chain length when intubated, which may reflect rate of absorption from the gut; however, hepatic satiety receptors were also differentially sensitive to triacylglycerol chain length indicating that more than rate of assimilation from the gut must be considered.