Influence of dietary fats on weight gain in albino rats.
Carbon-chain length and degree of saturation of dietary fat may influence weight gain. To examine this hypothesis we randomly allotted 100 male, 30-day old, albino rats to each of four groups. Each group was fed, ad libitum, a diet containing, as the only source of fat, either lard (L) or safflower oil (SO) (representing saturated and polyunsaturated fat respectively) or groundnut oil (GO) or coconut oil (CO) (representing long-chain and medium-chain triglycerides respectively). At the end of 90 days it was found that rats fed SO consumed more food than those fed L enriched diet (P < 0.001) but the weight gain was similar in the two groups. Similarly rats fed GO-containing diet ate more than those fed diet containing CO (P < 0.001), yet weight gain was similar. Thus it appears that carbon-chain length and degree of saturation of dietary fat does not influence weight gain in rats fed an ad libitum diet.
Pereira
Nandita
N
Department of Physiology, Goa Medical College, Bambolim, Goa 403 202.
Monteiro
Frida
F
Abraham
Marjorie E
ME
D000818:Animals; D000074263:Coconut Oil; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004435:Eating; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D000074241:Peanut Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D012450:Safflower Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015430:Weight Gain
D004041:Dietary Fats; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D000074241:Peanut Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D012450:Safflower Oil; D000074263:Coconut Oil; C029310:lard