Lipids and lipid oxidation with emphasis on cholesterol oxides in some Indian sweets available in London

Ghee (clarified butter oil), a major ingredient in Indian sweets, is an important source of saturated fatty acids, cholesterol and cholesterol oxidation products (COP) that are considered risk factors for atherosclerosis. The high frequency of atherosclerotic complications reported among the Indian immigrants in England prompted determination of lipids and lipid oxidation status of a ghee sample and 15 Indian sweets available in London supermarkets. The fatty acid profile of the samples shows saturated fats (about 73%), mainly composed of myristic, palmitic and stearic acids, except in two samples. There were large variations in thio-barbituric acid reacting substance values (19-260 microg/100 g) and total COP (1.4-51.2 microg/g lipids) among the sweet samples. Regular consumption of some of these sweets can be a source of considerable amounts of saturated fatty acids, cholesterol and COP in the diet and may contribute to atherosclerosis.