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Effects of Dietary Triglycerides on Serum and Liver Lipids and Sterol Excretion of Rats¹

Departments of Nutrition and Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616

The effects of several highly purified simple and mixed dietary triglycerides (TGs) on serum and liver cholesterol and on sterol excretion were studied in rats. The TGs contained 4- to 18-carbon fatty acids with melting points of -75 to 63.5°C. Ratios of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids ranged from 0.1 to 105. Ratios of total unsaturated to saturated fatty acids ranged from 0.1 to 115. All diets contained 8% TG plus 0.82% safflower oil. Sterols were quantified directly by a new and improved high resolution gas chromatographic method and were identified by mass spectrometry. TG digestibilities correlated negatively with melting points above 30°C (R = -0.9). Serum cholesterol was lower in rats fed tributyrin, tricaproin, tricaprylin, tricaprin, trielaidin, trilinolein or partially hydrogenated soybean oil (43–49 mg/dl) than in those fed trilaurin, trimyristin, tripalmitin, tristearin, triolein or corn oil (54–59 mg/dl). Liver lipid levels correlated (R = 0.65) with the degree of unsaturation of dietary TGs. Liver cholesterol levels correlated negatively with fecal excretion of coprostanol plus cholesterol (R = -0.4). Coprostanol plus cholesterol excreted in feces correlated weakly (R = 0.3) with intake of total sterol and of polyunsaturated TGs (R 0.4 are at least 80% significant). The results demonstrate that consumption of polyunsaturated TGs was associated with higher hepatic lipid levels. Also, greater fecal excretion of coprostanol plus cholesterol was associated with lower hepatic cholesterol levels.

KEY WORDS: • dietary triglycerides • chain length • saturation • tissue cholesterol • sterol excretion • gas chromatography-mass spectrometry • rat

¹ This study was supported by the Greater Los Angeles affiliate of the American Heart Association and by Hatch grants 2850 and 1030 from the Agricultural Experiment Station.

² To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Manuscript received 25 June 1985. Revision accepted 10 February 1986.