Environmental Temperature and Composition of Body Fat.

Abstract

Samples of subcutaneous body fat were analyzed for fatty acids and iodine values in hens maintained at 3 environmental temperatures. Fat from hens maintained at 0[degree]C was significantly more unsaturated and contained more di- and hexaenoic acid than fat from birds kept at either 21[degree] or 32[degree]C. There were no changes in deep body temperature or temperature of the tissue at site of fat biopsy which correlated with changes in fat composition. It is suggested that metabolic adjustments associated with cold adaptation are responsible for the changes in body fat composition.