Effect of dietary fat on pancreatic lipase activity in chicken

Pancreatic lipase activity was measured in young chicks receiving experimental diets for 18 to 24 days. The addition of 15% soybean oil to a commercial-type diet, without changing the calorie-protein ratio, produced a slight but significant increase in lipase activity. No differences in lipolytic activity were found when chicks received a semipurified diet with or without the addition of 10% partially hydrogenated soybean oil, nor did fasting and fasting-refeeding affect the activity. Pancreatic lipase activity in chicks appears to depend on factors other than the amount or type of fat consumed.