Masters Theses

Yusuf Yilmaz

Date of Award

12-1998

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Food Science and Technology

Major Professor

Gregory J. Hulbert, Sharon L. Melton

Committee Members

Ann Draughon, Arnold M. Saxton

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of dietary supplemental a-tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E) and sunflower oil and a-tocopheryl acetate in a protective gel supplement (sunflower oil-gel) on the fatty acid composition of lamb serum lipids. Twenty-three crossbred lambs were assigned on the basis of fleece color and gender to a control (n=8), vitamin E (n=8) or sunflower oil-gel (n=7) diet treatment and were fed the assigned diet for twelve weeks. Blood samples were obtained from all lambs at the beginning and every two weeks of the feeding trial, and the fatty acid composition of blood serum lipids was determined. Lambs on the control diet received 38 g lipid per head daily; lambs on the vitamin E diet received 38.5 g lipid and 250 I.U. of a-tocopherol per head daily while lambs on the sunflower oil-gel diet received 103 g lipid (71% linoleic acid) and 233 I.U. of a-tocopherol per head daily.

Lambs fed the sunflower oil-gel diet had (P<0.05) lower levels of palmitic (C16:0) and oleic acid (C18;l) in blood serum lipids than lambs fed the control or vitamin E diets, and a higher level of linoleic (C18:2) acid (33.47 versus 23.04 and 24.93%, respectively). No differences were found (P>0.05) in levels of C16:0, C18:l or C18:2 in serum lipids from lambs fed the control and those fed the vitamin E diet.

In lambs fed the sunflower oil-gel diet, blood serum levels of a-tocopherol correlated (P<0.05) with concentrations of C16:0 (r=-0.74), C18:l (r=-0.71) and C18:2 (r=0.63) fatty acids of blood serum lipids. For these same lambs, blood serum levels of C18:l correlated (P<0.05) with C18:l levels (r=0.88) in the Longissimus, a white muscle, and serum levels of C 18:2 correlated (P<0.05) Avith Longissimus muscle levels of C18:2 (r=0.83). However, no significant correlations were found (P>0.05) between serum levels of C18:1 and C18:2 and levels of like fatty acids in the Psoas major, a red muscle.

Feeding lambs the protective gel containing sunflower oil and a-tocopheryl acetate increased C18:2 content of blood serum lipids by a factor of 1.5 and provided increased levels of vitamin E as an antioxidant. Also, levels of major fatty acids in blood serum lipids may be indicators of those acids in muscles of animals fed the supplement. This supplement made with a generally recognized as safe agent may have a significant impact at increasing polyunsaturated fat intake from animal products in the U.S.

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