Abstract
The effects of a short and long acyltriglyceride, SALATRIM, on lard-induced accumulation of body fat and disorder of lipid metabolism were investigated in rats, in comparison with those induced by fish and safflower oils. When rats were fed a diet rich in lard (39% of calorific content as lard) for one month, white adipose tissue mass, triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) contents in the liver and plasma were greatly increased, as compared with controls fed a standard diet. These adverse effects on lipid metabolism were prevented by adding SALATRIM to the lard diet (at a ratio of 1: 1), but not by adding safflower oil. Addition of fish oil was also effective in reducing the plasma levels of TG and TC, although it raised the lipid peroxide level in the liver. The concentration of plasma free fatty acids was increased by the high-lard diet as well as by the lard-safflower oil diet and lard-SALATRIM diet, but was decreased by the lard-fish oil diet. The mass of brown adipose tissue, a site of diet-induced thermogenesis, was increased by the lard-fish oil diet or the lard-SALATRIM diet. These results indicate that accumulation of triglycerides and cholesterol in the liver and white adipose tissue induced by a high-lard diet are prevented and amended by SALATRIM.
