A STUDY OF PLASMA AND LIVER LIPID PROFILE OF RATS FED PALM OIL OR SAFFLOWER OIL ALONG WITH CHOLESTEROL

Male weanling Wistar rats were fed synthetic diets containing 20% saff lower oil or 20% palm oil along with 0.3% cholesterol for a period of 6 weeks. The control groups were fed with the same 20% oil diets witho ut cholesterol. The dietary treatment did not alter the food intake or the growth rate as compared to controls. The plasma cholesterol of th e cholesterol supplemented groups had in general the expected higher l evel, and cholesterol associated with HDL, LDL and VLDL fractions was more in the palm oil group. Triglycerides were higher in palm oil grou p and there was no significant difference with respect to phospholipid s. Analysis of liver cholesterol indicated more of esterified choleste rol with palm oil group than with the safflower oil group. Analysis of liver and plasma fatty acids generally reflected the type of oil inta ke as evidenced by the increased level of palmitic (16:0), oleic (18:1 ) and linoleic acids (18:2), besides a higher concentration of arachid onic acid (20:4) in safflower oil fed groups. The fatty acid compositi on of the control and cholesterol supplemented groups demonstrated a s imilar P/S ratio, 16:0/18:1 ratio and 18:1/18:2 ratio as that of the d iet provided to these animals and indicated the storage of linoleic ac id (18:2) in the liver. Thus, our studies indicate the type of fat has a favourable influence on the cholesterol of the plasma and the liver , and indicate that palm oil has a favourable effect on the cholestero l metabolism similar to unsaturated safflower oil.