ACTA ALIMENTARIA VOL. 14 (An International Journal of Food Science, 1985)
1985 / 1. sz. - MANDAL, B.-GHOSH MAJUMDAR, S.-MAITY, C. R.: Effect refined hydrogenated karanja oil on lipid metabolism in adult male albino rats. A comparative study
Acta Alimentaria, Vol. 14 (1), pp. 3—13 (1985) EFFECT OF REFINED HYDROGENATED KARANJA OIL ON LIPID METABOLISM IN ADULT MALE ALBINO RATS A COMPARATIVE STUDY B. MANDAL3, S. GHOSH MA.JUMDAR'1 and C. R. МА1ТУЬ,С a Department of Chemistry, University of Burdwan, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal. India ь Department of Biochemistry, Burdwan Medical College, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal. India (Received: 3 October 1982; revision received: 8 August 1983; accepted: 14 October 1983) A non-edible oil, karanja (Pongamia glabra) oil was extracted, refined by removing the toxic materials, colour, odour and bitterness and then it was hydrogenated. The refined hydrogenated karanja oil was supplemented to the diet of adult male albino rats at the extent of 15 percent for 30 days and the effects of the supplemented diet on plasma and liver lipids and the fatty acid composition of plasma and depot fat were studied. Coconut oil and corn oil were also used in separate diets at the same extent and period for comparison. Total lipid and cholesterol contents of liver and serum altered significantly with the nature of fat ingredients used in the experimental diets. Fatty acid composition of plasma was significantly influenced by the dietary fats and the changes reflected the dietary fat composition but the response of depot fat to the diet modification was slower than with plasma. It is obvious from the present study that the refined hydrogenated karanja oil (RHKO) could be incorporated in foods as a fat ingredient. Keywords: gas liquid chromatography, karanja oil, dietary fat, fat ingredient Karanja (Pongamia glabra) grows widely in India and is unique among higher plants for its oil seed which yields about 27 percent of a yellowish brown oil. Out of I 110 000 tons of karanja seeds available in India annually only 25 900 tons are used i.e. at present hardly 23% of the total potential is being tapped (SWAMINATHAN, 1979). The oil is bitter in taste and has very unpleasant odour, becomes non-edible due to the presence of two toxic flavonoids, karanjin and pongamol. This non-edible fatty oil is now partially used for leather tanning and soap making after hydrogenation. It is also used in a variety of medicines, besides being anthelmintic, is reported to have a curative value for diseases of eyes, rheumatism, leucoderma and itching wounds (KIRTIKAR & BASU, 1918; COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH, 1969). This oil has been found to possess synergistic activity for pyrethroids (PARMAR & GULATI, 1969; ATTRI et al., 1973; PARMAR et ah, 1975). SUDBOROUGH and co-workers (1922) refined karanja oil (КО) by deacidification with aqueous caustic soda followed by bleaching with 3.5% Fuller's earth and compositional fatty acids were c Request for reprints should be sent to 4 Acta Alimentaria 14, 1985