The deposition of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the rat fed partially hydrogenated vegetable oil

The composition of deposited polyenoic fatty acids in rats fed liquid or partially hydrogenated corn oil was determined by gas chromatography, which did not distinguish isomeric forms, and by lipoxidase which reacted with thecis, cis-methylene-interrupted acids. The two methods gave similar results for the liver fatty acids of rats fed either the unhydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. Of the fatty acids from the epididymal fat pads of rats fed the hydrogenated product, an appreciable quantity of linoleate isomers did not react with lipoxidase. The total amount of linoleic acid deposited was related to the total fatty acid pattern of the dietary oil. It appeared that thetrans-acids were mostly metab-olized and that the originalcis,cis-linoleic acid remaining in the partially hydrogenated product was preferentially incorporated into tissues. One of 10 papers to be published from the Symposium “Hydrogenation” presented at the AOCS Meeting, New Orleans, April 1970.