Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency

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Abstract
Weanling male rats were fed a semi-synthetic, fat-free diet with or without supplements. The supplements, replacing 5% of sucrose, were: (a) 1% of conjugated cis, trans-ethyl linoleate plus 4% of ethyl palmitate; (b) 1% of conjugated trans, trans-ethyl linoleate plus 4% of ethyl palmitate; (c) 1% of ethyl α-eleostearate plus 4% of ethyl palmitate; (d) 1% of ethyl β-eleostearate plus 4% of ethyl palmitate; (e) 5% of ethyl palmitate; (f) 5% of cottonseed oil; and (g) 5% of hydrogenated coconut oil; (h) 1% of ethyl linoleate plus 4% of ethyl palmitate. The experiments showed that the conjugated di-and trienoic fatty acid ester supplements did not significantly intensify the retardation of growth or the development of dermal symptoms of EFA deficiency. On the other hand, the results agreed with previous reports that these conjugated acids do not have EFA activity. Conjugated cis, trans-ethyl linoleate, and, to a lesser extent, ethyl α-eleostearate, increased the amount of conjugated dienoic acids in the lipides of hearts. Apparently none of the conjugated compounds increased the content of conjugated dienoic and trienoic acids in the lipides of testis or brain, whereas all of these compounds markedly increased the amount of conjugated dienoic acid in adipose tissue. The pattern of non-conjugated polyenoic acids of the lipides from heart, testis, brain, and adipose tissue from EFA-deficient animals was not markedly changed by dietary supplementation of the conjugated unsaturated fatty esters. It is concluded that the presence of small amounts of conjugated polyenoic acid does not explain the dietary effects of hydrogenated fat upon rats. The polyenoic acid pattern of adipose tissue differed markedly from that of other tissues examined.

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