Dietary supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may reduce body fat mass and increase lean body mass in various species. The objective of this study was to study the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on body composition, serum leptin and triacylglycerol levels in Wistar rats. Rats received linoleic acid (group C) or conjugated linoleic acid (group AE, supplemented with AdvantEdge CLA, and group CO, supplemented with CLA One) in the concentrations of 2% of daily feed consumption. Serum leptin and triacylglycerol levels of rats were measured by means of commercial kits. After 42 days of supplementation, rats in the control group exhibited body fat contents of 53.94 +/- 6.80 g, and those in groups AE and CO had 45.43 +/- 4.86 g and 43.75 +/- 1.93 g, respectively, corresponding to a mean body fat reduction of 18%. Water, whole body protein and ash contents of rats supplemented with CLA were statistically higher relative to control group content (corresponding to a mean increasing of 7.65%; 6.5% and 12.35%, respectively). Experimental groups AE and CO, which received CLA supplementation, had statistically lower serum leptin levels (3.45 +/- 0.46 ng/mL and 3.08 +/- 0.19 ng/mL, respectively) relative to the control group (4.21 +/- 0.22 ng/mL) which received linoleic acid. Triacylglycerol levels did not change after CLA supplementation (p > 0.05). Supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid in the concentration of 2% of mean daily feed consumption was able to change body composition of rats after 42 days of experimentation.