title: Macronutrient selection in rats: effect of fat type and level.
abstract: The effect of type and level of dietary fat on subsequent diet selection was examined in young Sprague-Dawley rats. Isoenergetic, isonitrogenous diets composed of corn oil or tallow (commercial grade), each at 5 or 34%, were fed to rats for 2 wk, and their preference for diets covarying in carbohydrate and protein was subsequently tested. When compared to either of the corn oil groups or the 5% tallow group, rats previously fed the high tallow diet selected more protein and less carbohydrate. Subsequent experiments testing the effects of 5, 20 or 34% tallow indicated that this preference for protein was induced by exposure to the tallow diets for only 18 h. In addition, the 34% tallow group selected more protein than did rats fed 5 or 20% tallow. Tests of diet selection with 5 or 34% corn oil, tallow or hydrogenated coconut oil indicated that rats fed 34% tallow ate significantly more protein than the 34% corn oil group. Furthermore, animals fed a 34% pure, additive-free tallow diet exhibited a preference for protein. These studies suggest that the type and level of dietary fat interact to influence dietary selection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Foods and Nutrition, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Mullen
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats