SERUM-LIPIDS IN RATS FED DIETS CONTAINING RICE BRAN OIL OR HIGH-LINOLEIC ACID SAFFLOWER OIL

Growing male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed purified diets containing 1% cholesterol, 0.15% cholic acid, and 10% of either rice bran oil (RBO) or high-linoleic acid safflower oil (HLSO), with nine rats being fed each diet. Food intake, growth, and serum cholesterol level were unaff ected by the source of dietary oil; however, the serum levels of trigl ycerides and phospholipids were significantly (P<0.05) higher in anima ls fed RBO than in those fed HLSO. There were differences in the serum fatty acid pattern between the two groups-for instance, rats fed RBO had significantly higher levels (expressed as mol%) of total serum fat ty acids as oleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) than those fed HLSO, but a lower level of linoleic acid. Many o f the differences in lipid status between the two groups were attribut ed to compositional differences between the oils, which included RBO's having higher levels of oleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid (the prec ursor of DHA) than HLSO, but a lower level of linoleic acid. The highe r serum level of DHA in animals fed RBO indicates that this oil may ha ve an important advantage over HLSO with regard to the development of brain and retinal tissue.