Effects of intramuscular injection of alpha-tocopheryl acetate on fatty acid profile in lamb liver

The effects of intramuscularly administrated vitamin E on total lipids, fat ty acid profile, and lipid stability to oxidation was investigated in lamb liver, Twenty-four 5-day-old lambs were allotted to 4 groups of 6 each and given respectively 0 (control), 125, 200, 300 mg dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetat e weekly from day 5 to 33, alpha-Tocopherol stood in lamb liver at the end of experiment showed linear correlation with the level of injected vitamin E, No effect on total lipids was found. A decrease in the level of liver th iobarbituric-acid reactive substances (TBARS), significantly correlated wit h liver alpha-tocopherol content, was found in vitamin E groups. The amount of linoleic and linolenic acids significantly increased in the vitamin E g roups as compared to control group, and were correlated with the liver alph a-tocopherol content, TBARS were negatively correlated with the concentrati on of unsaturated fatty acids. Finally in the liver of the treated groups, vitamin E concentrations in the range 30-50 mu g/g showed adequate for an e fficient protection from peroxidation of membrane lipids, and determined an increase in the unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio.