Dietary anhydrous milk fat depletes essential fatty acids in wistar rats which can be corrected by blending with linoleic acid rich sunflower oil.

Anhydrous milk fat (AMF) is highly valued
for its medicinal properties. AMF as sole source of fat in the
diet exhibit hypocholesterolemic effect, but it also depletes
the essential fatty acid level in the body. In order to maintain
the essential fatty acid level in the body without affecting
the hypocholesterolemic effect of AMF, blends of AMF with
incremental amount of Sunflower oil (SFO) was fed to rats.
The control rats were fed with 20%SFO, and the treatment
groups were fed with 20%AMF and AMF blended with SFO
at 5%, 10% and 15% levels. Rats fed AMF at 20% levels
showed 15% decrease in total cholesterol, 21.2% decrease in
LDL cholesterol and 15% decrease in triacylglycerols as
compared to rats fed 20% SFO. However, AMF fed rats also
showed 35% decrease in linoleic acid levels in serum and
31% decrease in liver as compared to rats given SFO. Rats
given AMF blended with incremental amount of SFO showed
increase in the linoleic acid levels in serum and liver lipids,
but serum and liver cholesterol level was found to be similar
to that observed in rats given SFO. Therefore, blending of
AMF with SFO helps in maintaining essential fatty acid
levels in rats without compromising cholesterol lowering
ability of AMF.