Production of Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency Symptoms in the Mature Rat.

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Mature rats were maintained on a fat-free diet for relatively long periods without showing any deficiency symptoms except emaciation. Severe diet restriction followed by ad libitum feeding of the fat-free diet precipitated in mature rats symptoms including those typical of essential fatty acid deficiency. This method is suggested for other types of expts. where a "strain" on body functions is desired. Ethyl lino-leate or corn oil prevented entirely or cured rapidly the symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency when they appeared. When the rats, after depletion, were maintained on the fat free diet ad libitum for sufficiently long periods, spontaneous disappearance of all the symptoms was observed, for which the explanation of some synthesis of essential fatty acid is suggested.
Keywords