title: Effect of dietary medium-chain triacylglycerol on serum albumin and nitrogen balance in malnourished rats.
abstract: The present study was examined the therapeutic effect of medium-chain triacylglycerol (MCT) in protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). Wistar rats were fed low protein diet containing 70 g/kg of long-chain triacylglycerol (LCT) or MCT for 31 days. The serum albumin concentration in rats fed MCT diet (2.88 +/- 0.04 g/dl) were significantly higher compared with those fed LCT diet (2.72 +/- 0.04 g/dl) at day 31. Nitrogen balance was higher in rats fed MCT diet (54.1 +/- 2.3 mg/day) compared with those fed LCT diet (45.4 +/- 2.4 mg/day) during d 10-12. These results suggest that MCT effectively elevates serum albumin concentration and improves nitrogen balance in malnourished rats.
authors.affiliation: Central Research Laboratory, The Nisshin OilliO Group, Ltd., 1 Shinmei-cho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 239-0832, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasai