| Abstract: | Palm oil is widely used as a cooking medium. This study was undertaken to examine whether extensive use leading to the formation of polar compounds has any effect on calcium and phosphorus balances. Three isocaloric diets containing 8% olive oil (O), palm olein (P) and palm olein from 80 repeated potato frying uses (PF) without turnover, and which nearly reached the limit of 25% polar compounds allowed by law, were prepared and given to three groups of growing rats during a study period of 28 days. Body weight and food intake were monitored and faeces and urine were collected to calculate calcium and phosphorus balances during the last week of the study. At the end of the experiment the animals were killed and their livers, serum and carcases stored. No differences were observed between food intake, body weight and food efficiency of rats which consumed palm olein, whether unused or used in frying, and the control group (O). The liver mass index was higher in PF than O rats. No significant differences were observed in apparent absorption and retention of calcium and phosphorus. Faecal calcium (p = 0.065) and the percentage of phosphorus absorbed (p = 0.084) showed a tendency to increase in rats fed diets with both unused and used palm olein and could be due to the known higher affinity of fat for Ca than P. No variations in serum calcium and carcase calcium and phosphorus levels were seen. The conclusion of this study was that consumption of palm olein, whether unused or used in frying, does not alter calcium and phosphorus bioavailability. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry |
