The effects of different kinds of fats and oils on nitrogen utilization were investigated. Forty five male albino rats aged 40 days were divided into nine groups on weight basis. Each group was fed ad. libitum one of these experimental diets supplemets with one of the following fats at the 1890 level: soya-bean oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, rice-bran oil, rapeseed oil, butter fat, tallow, lard, and hydrogenated fish oil. After 4 weeks on the experimental diets, nitrogen balance was determined over a 7-day period. At the same time, digestibility of fats was measured.
The results indicated that, in spite of the marked differences in the degree of saturation of the fats, no significant differences in nitrogen retention were found. The nine fats were absorbed to essentially the same extent.