Investigation of effect of saturated and unsaturated fats on lipoprotein fractions

This study was carried out on Avian farms chickens in order to determine the atherosclerotic effect of butter, margarine, sunflower oil, olive oil and corn oil and the degree of their susceptibility to free radical effects. For this reason, 1 80 chickens of zero age were used in six groups. One group was taken as control and the other five groups were for each of the oils. The chickens had been fed for 45 days and oils were added to their feed by an increasing rate of 5 to 7%. At the end of that period, the chickens were cut and serum levels of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, HDL2-cholesterol, HDL3-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and reactive oxygen metabolits (d-ROM) were measured in their serums. All of the analysis were made spectrophotometrically by using commercially available kits. At the end of the study, total cholesterol and HDL-C levels were highest, whereas d-ROM levels were lowest in butter fed group. High d-ROM level increases the formation of oxidised LDL and hence the risk of atherosclerosis. High levels of cholesterol and d-ROM and low level of HDL2-C are in favour of atherosclerosis. High level of HDL-C is against of atherosclerosis. In addition, high d-ROM level is cause of many other diseases. From these results, butter was concluded to be more atherogenic than the other oils in respect to its high cholesterol content, but also more useful than the others due to its low susceptibility to oxidation which is a significant risk factor for atherosclerosis and other.diseases. From our HDL2-C results, margarine was also concluded to be a significant risk factor for atherosclerosis. Key Words: Butter, margarine, sunflower oil, corn oil, olive oil, T. Cholesterol, HDL- Chol., HDL2-C, HDL3-C, LDL-C, d-ROM.