DIETARY SANDALWOOD SEED OIL MODIFIES FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION OF MOUSE ADIPOSE-TISSUE, BRAIN, AND LIVER

Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) seed oil, which occurs to about 50% of the weight of the seed kernels, contains 30-35% of total fatty acids ( FA) as ximenynic acid (XMYA). This study was designed to obtain basic information on changes in tissue FA composition and on the metabolic f ate of XMYA in mice fed a sandalwood seed oil (SWSO)-enriched diet. Fe male mice were randomly divided into three groups, each receiving diff erent semisynthetic diets containing 5.2% (w/w) fat (standard laborato ry diet), 15% canola oil, or 15% SWSO for 8 wk. The effects of SWSO as a dietary fat on the FA composition of adipose tissue, brain, and liv er lipids were determined by analyses of FA methyl ester derivatives o f extracted total lipid. The FA compositions of the liver and adipose tissue were markedly altered by the dietary fats, and mice fed on a SW SO-enriched diet were found to contain XMYA but only in low concentrat ion (0.3-3%) in these tissues; XMYA was not detected in brain. Oleic a cid was suggested to be a principal XMYA biotransformation product. Th e results were interpreted to suggest that the metabolism of XMYA may involve both biohydrogenation and oxidation reactions.