Essential Fatty Acids in Tissue Phospholipids and Triglycerides of the Zinc-Deficient Rat
Stephen C. Cunnane, David F. Horrobin, M.S. Manku
Experimental Biology and Medicine
Abstract
This study addressed the possibility that zinc deficiency has different effects on the fatty acid composition of triglyceride compared to total phospholipid. Male weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained for 6 weeks on a semisynthetic diet deficient in zinc (3 mg/kg zinc). Control rats (40 mg/kg zinc) were pair-fed. Lipid fractionation and fatty acid analysis were by thin-layer and gas chromatography, respectively. In zinc-deficient rats, the percentage of linoleic acid was increased or that of arachidonic acid was decreased in total phospholipids of plasma, liver, and testis, and in skin total lipids. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were increased in the triglyceride of liver but decreased in the triglyceride of epididymal fat of zinc deficient rats. Essential fatty acids, as a proportion of total fatty acids, were decreased in triglyceride of liver but increased in triglyceride of epididymal fat of zinc-deficient rats. Our fatty acid data from tissue total phospholipids therefore support the concept that linoleic acid desaturation is impaired in zinc deficiency.
Extracted Claims
8 claims extracted from this paper into the knowledge graph
monounsaturated fatty acids increased percentage
“Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were increased in the triglyceride of liver but decreased in the triglyceride of epididymal fat of zinc deficient rats.”
saturated fatty acids decreased percentage
“Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were increased in the triglyceride of liver but decreased in the triglyceride of epididymal fat of zinc deficient rats.”
essential fatty acids increased percentage
“Essential fatty acids, as a proportion of total fatty acids, were decreased in triglyceride of liver but increased in triglyceride of epididymal fat of zinc-deficient rats.”