The Nutritional Effect of Polymers Isolated from Thermally Oxidized Corn Oil

Abstract

Weanling rats were fed for 21 days a diet composed of 50% glucose, 31% casein, 5% Wesson salt, 2% fresh cottonseed oil, 12% of the test fat or fatty acid fraction, and all of the known required water- and fat-soluble vitamins. Those fed the nondistillable residue from the non-urea-adduct-forming fatty acids of corn oil which had been heated at 200°C for 48 hours and represented approximately 30% of the original oil all died within 7 days. Dilution of the non-urea-adduct-forming fatty acids with an equal volume of the fatty acids from fresh corn oil assured survival of the animals for the 21-day test period, but counteracted only partially the growth depressing effect of the non-urea-adduct-forming fatty acids. The major portion of the fatty acids in the thermally oxidized corn oil did not seem to be damaged by the severe heat treatment. Although the fatty acids from thermally oxidized oil depressed growth significantly, the rats fed the urea-adduct-forming fatty acids, which represented 64% of the oil, gained as much weight as those on the fatty acids of fresh corn oil.