EFFECTS OF FRESH AND HEATED BAOBAB SEED OIL FEEDING ON GROWTH, FOOD-CONSUMPTION AND WEIGHT OF SOME ORGANS IN RATS

Abstract

Some effects of cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPFA) containing crude Baobab seed oil were investigated by feeding weaning rats with oil containing 1.27 g CPFA per 100 g of diet for 4 weeks. Food intake, food efficiency and body weight gain were found to be lower than in control rats. Weight of liver, adrenals and kidneys were higher when expressed as percentage of body weight while testes weight relative to body weight was unchanged. Heating oil at 180-degrees-C or 220-degrees-C decreased the CPFA content by 60 and 96 % respectively. In rats fed these heated oils, the adverse effects were less pronounced but not absent.