Food & Nutrition

Arab Journal of Food & Nutrition
32. Effect of Ricinolic Acid of Castor Oil on Blood Lipids and Lipoproteins in
Adult Rats (1998)
Abeer Ahmad Daour\ University of Jordan
Supervisor: Dr. Mousa Numan Ahmad
Co-Supervisor: Dr. Mohammad Au Ilumeid
The effect of consumption of different levels of hydroxy oleic acid (ricinoleic
acid) in castor oil on blood lipids and lipoproteins was investigated in adult male
Sprague Dawley rats. Animals were fed cholesterol-supplemented purified diets
containing 0, 3.5, 7, 10.5, 14 and 17.5m1 of castor oil per kilogram diet. After four
weeks of experimental feeding, fasting serum levels of glucose, triglycerides, total
cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein
cholesterol (HDL-C) were determined. Body weights, liver weights, accumulative
food intakes and water intakes were also recorded.
The castor oil diets fed to the various rat groups did not affect significantly
(P>0.05) final body weights, body weight gain, accumulative food intakes, food
efficiency, water intakes, liver weights and serum levels of total cholesterol and LDL-
C when compared to castor oil-free diet. Significant differences (P