Biomaterial Database

Metabolism of gamma-linolenic acid in essential fatty acid-deficient rats. 1977

A G Hassam, and J P Rivers, and M A Crawford

Female rats were weaned and fed a semipurified diet lacking in essential fatty acids. After 160 days, the deficient diet was supplemented with varying amounts of gamma-linolenic acid. Changes in body weight and feed efficiency were measured. Total liver phospholipid fatty acids were also analyzed. Supplementation with gamma-linolenic acid to the deficient diet for 7 days led to improvements in body weight and feed efficiency of the deficient rats. The liver phospholipid fatty acid composition returned to a normal pattern. There was a reduction of 5,8,11-eicosatrienoic acid and an increase in the arachidonic acid. Thus, there was a fall in the triene: tetraene ratio with increasing dietary supplementation of gamma-linolenic acid. The essential fatty acid potency, the minimum dietary requirement for this fatty acid, and the widely accepted levels of the minimum requirements of dietary essential fatty acids are discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008042	Linolenic Acids	Eighteen-carbon essential fatty acids that contain three double bonds.
D008055	Lipids	A generic term for fats and lipoids, the alcohol-ether-soluble constituents of protoplasm, which are insoluble in water. They comprise the fats, fatty oils, essential oils, waxes, phospholipids, glycolipids, sulfolipids, aminolipids, chromolipids (lipochromes), and fatty acids. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)	Lipid
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D009751	Nutritional Requirements	The amounts of various substances in food needed by an organism to sustain healthy life.	Dietary Requirements,Nutrition Requirements,Dietary Requirement,Nutrition Requirement,Nutritional Requirement,Requirement, Dietary,Requirement, Nutrition,Requirement, Nutritional,Requirements, Dietary,Requirements, Nutrition,Requirements, Nutritional
D009929	Organ Size	The measurement of an organ in volume, mass, or heaviness.	Organ Volume,Organ Weight,Size, Organ,Weight, Organ
D010743	Phospholipids	Lipids containing one or more phosphate groups, particularly those derived from either glycerol (phosphoglycerides see GLYCEROPHOSPHOLIPIDS) or sphingosine (SPHINGOLIPIDS). They are polar lipids that are of great importance for the structure and function of cell membranes and are the most abundant of membrane lipids, although not stored in large amounts in the system.	Phosphatides,Phospholipid
D001835	Body Weight	The mass or quantity of heaviness of an individual. It is expressed by units of pounds or kilograms.	Body Weights,Weight, Body,Weights, Body
D004032	Diet	Regular course of eating and drinking adopted by a person or animal.	Diets
D005227	Fatty Acids	Organic, monobasic acids derived from hydrocarbons by the equivalent of oxidation of a methyl group to an alcohol, aldehyde, and then acid. Fatty acids are saturated and unsaturated (FATTY ACIDS, UNSATURATED). (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)	Aliphatic Acid,Esterified Fatty Acid,Fatty Acid,Fatty Acids, Esterified,Fatty Acids, Saturated,Saturated Fatty Acid,Aliphatic Acids,Acid, Aliphatic,Acid, Esterified Fatty,Acid, Saturated Fatty,Esterified Fatty Acids,Fatty Acid, Esterified,Fatty Acid, Saturated,Saturated Fatty Acids
D005228	Fatty Acids, Essential	Long chain organic acid molecules that must be obtained from the diet. Examples are LINOLEIC ACIDS and LINOLENIC ACIDS.	Acids, Essential Fatty,Essential Fatty Acids