Compositions of Skeletal Muscle Lipids of Rats Fed Diets Containing Various Oils

Abstract

Rats fed diets containing 0.2% of corn oil, 15% of coconut oil, 15% of corn oil, or 7% of cod liver oil for 6 and 21 weeks showed considerable differences in fatty acid compositions of skeletal muscle lipids. Samples from the 15% corn oil group were characterized by high percentages of linoleic and arachidonic acids with compensatory decreases in palmitoleic and oleic acids, whereas those from the 7% cod liver oil group had high levels of pentaenes. A correlation appears to exist between the increased polyunsaturated fatty acid percentages in muscle lipids and the dietary conditions producing nutritional dystrophy in the vitamin E-deficient rat. A slight increase was observed in the degree of unsaturation of muscle fatty acids in rats fed 0.2 or 15% of corn oil or 15% of coconut oil for 21 weeks, as compared with 6 experimental weeks.