Marine fat fed to young calves. I. Content and distribution of fatty acids in ingested and excreted fat.

Fish oils hydrogenated to melting points of 31–33 or 38–40°C were examined as fat sources in milk replacers, soya lecithin being used as an emulsifying agent. Analyses performed on gas and thin layer chromatography showed a total fatty acid content of 68.2 % in the lesser hydrogenated and 58.7 % in the more hydrogenated fat. As much as 89 of the total fatty acids were found in the triglyceride fraction of the former, and 75 in the latter. Diglycerides and cholesterol were measured together. Although 11 % of the total fatty acids was found in this fraction in the more hydrogenated fat, diglycerides and cholesterol were completely absent in the lesser hydrogenated fat. Eight different samples of faeces originating from a balance experiment with calves were extracted by a modified Folch method and also by the Stoldt method. Both methods yielded similar total lipid contents, but the Folch method gave a considerably higher yield of fatty acids, particularly the longer chained ones.