Nutritional characteristics of oil containing conjugated octadecatrienoic fatty acid

The nutritive value of conjugated octadecatrienoic fatty acid (C18:3 Delta9,11,13alpha-elaeostearic acid) as occurs in karela seed (Momordica charantia) oil was studied. When rats were fed at the 20% level for 6 weeks, the growth pattern of rats and the food efficiency ratio showed a slightly significant difference compared to the group raised on linseed oil with non-conjugated octadecatrienoic acid (C18:3 Delta9,12,15alpha-linolenic acid) as control. The concentrations of total cholesterol, triglyceride, VLDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and LDL/HDL-cholesterol in serum were significantly higher in karela oil than in linseed oil. The liver lipid profile showed no difference. The total lipid as well as phospholipid concentrations of heart lipid were significantly higher in karela oil. The brain weight of the linseed oil group was significantly higher than the karela group. The brain phospholipid concentration of the karela oil group was significantly higher than that of the linseed oil group.