EVALUATION OF LOW ERUCIC ACID RAPESEED OIL FED TO MONKEYS: BODY AND ORGAN WEIGHTS, ELECTROCARDIOGRAM AND BLOOD ANALYSIS

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Abstract
Male and female cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), equally divided as to sex, were fed diets which contained 20% by weight of either soybean oil or Brassica napus cv. Tower rapeseed oil, low in erucic acid (0.2%), for up to 24 wk. The monkeys ate well and grew normally, except for four monkeys which lost nominal amounts of weight. There were no significant differences between any of the groups in the relative weights of heart, liver and thyroid. Feeding diets which contained Tower rapeseed oil, however, resulted in increased adrenal weights in females and decreased kidney weights in males. The electrocardiograms in all monkeys appeared normal. The hematological studies failed to suggest that feeding either oil had any adverse effect on blood coagulation. Clinical chemical results revealed no serum enzyme changes suggestive of myocardial necrosis.