Nutritional Studies on Milk Fat

Abstract

Five glyceride fractions separated from milk fat by precipitation from a solvent were fed to weanling rats, and the gain in weight was measured. The growth responses place the fractions in three groups. The -53° filtrate was superior to all other diets containing solvent-treated fat; the -7° ppt. and the fat-free were the poorest; the others formed an intermediate group. The diet containing natural milk fat which had not been solvent-treated gave greater growth than any other diet. The diets containing the solvent-treated milk fats (natural, synthetic and composite) fell in the intermediate group with no significant difference between them. The fatty acid composition of the fats suggests that either the oleic acid content or the total unsaturation might be a factor contributing to differences in growth.