A technique for the study of fat production in animals.

Abstract

The study of the relation of food to the quality of fat laid down in the animal body is not new. The chief criticism, however, which applies to most of the past investigations concerns the number of variables which have entered into the experiments; particularly is this true in the experiments performed with farm animals and with mixed feeds of variable composition. We have approached the problem by means of the more recent methods of animal feeding and have adopted a standard basal ration in which protein and inorganic salts have been kept as constant as possible. After evisceration, the fat from the whole animal has been rendered in an autoclave kept under constant pressure for 14 or 15 hours. Our results have shown marked variations due to high carbohydrate feeding and the feeding of different oils. For example, with a preponderance of starch in the diet, a characteristic “hard” fat is obtained, while with the different oils typical “oily” fats are obtained. These “oily” fats give varying iodine numbers and refractive indices depending upon the oils fed. Solid fats are being fed in other diets. The conversion of an “oily” fat into a solid fat with high carbohydrate feeding is at present being studied.