Serum phospholipids of pigs given different amounts of linoleic acid. 1. Fatty acid composition of the kephalin, lecithin, lysolecithin and sphingomyelin fractions

Abstract

The fatty acid composition of the serum phospholipids of 6 pigs, reared on various amounts of dietary linoleate, were examined. In the lecithin fraction decreasing the dietary linoleate resulted in a diminution in the percentages of linoleic acid and arachidonic acid, and an increase in that of eicosatrienoic acid. In the kephalin fraction there was a fall in the percentage of arachidonic acid, and this greatly exceeded the rise in that of eicosatrienoic acid. The fatty acids of the lysolecithin and sphingomyelin fractions were least affected by changes in dietary linoleate. When dietary linoleate was decreased to less than 1% of the calories the percentage of lecithin in serum phospholipids increased at the expense of lysolecithin and sphingomyelin.