Abstract
A tristearin-rich triglyceride was prepared by full hydrogenation of soybean oil. The digestibility of the fully-hydrogenated soybean oil (FH oil) and its influence on lipid metabolism were compared with those of ordinary soybean oil. Growth retardation, poorer food efficiency ratio, and a lower adipose tissue weight were observed in rats fed an AIN-76-based standard diet and a hypercholesterolemic diet containing 19% FH oil compared with those fed a diet containing 20% soybean oil. The tristearin in the FH oil was the most resistant to gastrointestinal digestion (0.1-0.2%). As a result of this poorer digestibility, the absorption of coexisting lipids, liver lipid concentration, and serum triglyceride level in the FH oil group were significantly lower than those in the soybean oil group. The influence of the fat source on the level of serum cholesterol differed between the standard diet and the hypercholesterolemic diet. These results indicate that FH oil is resistant to gastrointestinal digestion and is rarely utilized as an energy source.
