Nutritional aspects of trans fatty acids. Note I. Their accumulation in tissue lipids of rats fed with normolipidic diets containing margarine.

The fatty acid composition of extracts from organs of rats fed with normolipidic diets-either olive oil or sunflower margarine-has been determined in order to evaluate the influence of alimentary lipids on the storage of fatty acids in the animals liver, kidney, heart, adipose tissue and brain. The data obtained clearly showed that elaidized feeds caused an increase of trans-fatty acids in all the organs, although in different relative amounts, unrelated with the increase of these geometric isomers in the diet. Moreover it was found that the administration of trans fatty acid rich diets influenced the accumulation of essential fatty acids in the organs.