Effect of micelle formation on the absorption of neutral fat and fatty acids by the chicken.

Experiments were conducted to determine the absorption of various dietary fatty acids and glycerides singly and in mixtures. Chickens with or without cannulated bile ducts or ligated pancreatic ducts were used to evaluate the absorption of fatty acids or mixtures of fatty acids and the absorption patterns of several classes of lipids and their effect on the absorption of palmitic acid under in vivo conditions. In spite of wide melting point differences, isomers of various monoglycerides or 18-carbon unsaturated fatty acids exhibited identical absorption and solubility patterns. A homologous series of saturated monoglycerides showed a maximum absorption value for the monoglycerides with fatty acids of 12 and 14 carbons. Absorption decreased with increasing chain lengths of the fatty acid in the monoglyceride. Conversely, the absorption of palmitic acid when fed with the various monoglycerides progressively increased to a maximum in the mixture containing monomyristin and then decreased when fed with monopalmitin or monostearin.