EFFECTS OF 2 ENRICHED OIL DIETS (SOYBEAN AND OLIVE) ON SOME MORPHOMETRIC AND BEHAVIORAL PARAMETERS IN EARLY UNDERNOURISHED FEMALE RATS

The present study evaluates the role of soybean and olive oil in the r ehabilitation of female rats undernourished ''in uterus'' and during l actation. Beginning at 20 days of age, for a period of 70 days, the ma lnourished animals where fed three different diets: standard diet, sta ndard diet enriched with soybean oil (7%), and standard diet enriched with olive oil (7%). A control group eating standard diet was also stu died. At the end of the experimental period the animals were tested on an open-field test. Some morphometric parameters (body weight and len gth, weight and length of some muscles, weight of differents organs an d glands, such as brain, pituitary, adrenals, ovaries and peripherial fat) and biochemicaly parameters (glucose, proteins, triglycerides and total cholesterol) were also measured. Undernutrition produced a decr eased body weight and experimental diets were not effective in growth recovery. As compared with the other groups, animals eating oil enrich ed diets showed a significant increase in the peripheral ovaric fat. A ll biochemical parameters were recovered in the three experimental gro ups, while triglycerides were only increased in groups eating oil diet s. Undernourished females eating oil-enriched diets displayed a bigger locomotion and a lower freezing than controls and undernourished anim als eating the standard diet.