Metabolic effect of odd—numbered medium chain fatty acids on glucose homeostasis and mobilization of depot fat in fasting rats

Abstract

64 male rats were divided into two groups and fed on the diet containing, as percentage of dietary energy, 20% protein, 50% carbohydrate and 30% fat, which composed of undecanoin: caprin: soyabean oil (45:45:10 V/V/V) for the experimental group and soyabean oil only for the control group. At the end of the 8th week, 8 animals of each group were sacrificed after fasting 4, 24, 48 and 72 hours respectively.

Since the terminal three-carbon residue of the odd-numbered medium chain fatty acids (OMFA) was glucogenic, OMFA enriched rats possessed a potential source of gluconeogenetic precusors, thus the blood glucose and immunoreactive insulin (IRI), perhaps the liver glycogen of those rats maintained at higher level as compared with the controls.

In brief, the present study revealed that OMFA could be deposited into as well as mobilized from the adipose tissue. During prolonged starvation OMFA was catabolized rapidly.

Keywords

odd-numbered medium chain fatty acids / starvation / glucose homeostasis / mobilization of depot fat / metabolism

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