NUTRITIONAL-EVALUATION OF RICE BRAN OIL AND A BLEND WITH CORN-OIL

Rice bran oil (RBO) is an unconventional oil of very high potential av ailability in China. This study was done to evaluate the nutritional q ualities of RBO and a blend with corn oil. The effect of these oils on serum lipids and lipid peroxidation was investigated in growing chick ens. The response parameters were total cholesterol, triglycerides, hi gh density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low density lipoprotein ch olesterol (HDL-c) and lipid peroxidation. Others were feed efficiency and growth in chickens. The chemical parameters of oil constituents we re composition of fatty acids, acid value and peroxide value. The resu lts indicated that the gain in body weight and the feed efficiency rat io did not show a significant difference with chickens fed RBO or corn oil (GO) or blended oil (BO), GO-fed animals exhibited a low level of lipid peroxidation. There is no significant difference in total serum cholesterol and HDL-e levels between RBO- and GO-fed animals. The exp eriment indicated that serum triglycerides and LDL-e are lower in BO-f ed than in RBO- or GO-fed animals. The results suggest that P/S ratio of various edible oils had no consistent correlation with the response s of serum lipids, and that rice bran oil has a nutritional quality si milar to that of CO. Chemical analyses showed that the blend of RBO wi th CO and antioxidant vitamin E (0.03%, wt/wt oil) reduced the acid an d peroxide value. Thus, the nutritional value of RBO may be enhanced b y blending it with CO and fortifying it with vitamin E.