Effect of olive oil- and corn oil-enriched diets on the tissue mineral content in mice

The mineral content (zinc, iron, magnesium, and calcium) in the liver, sple en, and thymus of male Balb/C mice was analyzed. Animals were fed, over 21 d, diets enriched with corn oil (FCO diet) or olive oil (FOO diet) (5% addi tion to standard pellet, w/w). Olive oil with predominant oleic acid (C18:1 , n-9) had a quite different composition than corn oil, in which linoleic a cid (C18:2, n-6) prevails. The zinc and magnesium tissue concentrations wer e not changed in either group. The calcium concentration in liver as well a s the calcium concentration in spleen increased in mice fed both the FCO an d FOO diets. Furthermore, mice fed both the FOO and FCO diets had increased spleen iron concentration. Mice fed the FCO diet had increased thymus calc ium concentration compared to controls. The results show the effect of diet s with unsaturated, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids, on the calciu m and iron concentration in some organs.