SUBCHRONIC TOXICITY STUDIES OF SALATRIM STRUCTURED TRIACYLGLYCEROLS IN RATS .1. TRIACYLGLYCEROLS COMPOSED OF STEARATE AND BUTYRATE

SALATRIM 4CA lot A006 belongs to a family of structured triacylglycerols with lower caloric availabilities (4.5-6.0 kcal/g) than corn oil (9 kcal/g). The predominant fatty acids esterified to glycerol in this fat are butyric and stearic. Rats were fed 2 %, 5 % and 10 % dietary SALATRIM 4CA lot A006 for 13 weeks. A 10 % corn oil diet was fed as a reference for the high-fat SALATRIM diets. Body weight and feed consumption varied with dietary caloric density, as expected. Serum concentrations and urinary clearance of minerals were unaffected by treatment. Variations in bone minerals of rats fed 10 % SALATRIM and corn oil were considered to be directly related to the levels of unsaturated fatty acids in these high-fat diets. Necropsy, clinical pathology, and histopathology revealed no adverse effects related to SALATRIM. Increased hepatocellular vacuolation occurred with 10 % corn oil. Neither fat altered fat-soluble vitamin concentration in the serum and liver. Overall, the SALATRIM fat produced no toxicologically significant effects.