Effect of dietary lard containing higher alpha-linolenic acid on plasma triacylglycerol in rats.

It is well known that the consumption of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) decreases the plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) level. The technology of elevating the content of n-3 PUFAs in pig meat has already reached a practical level. In this study, the effects of dietary lard containing higher alpha-linolenic acid (LNA) on plasma TAG were compared with those of normal lard in rats. The rats were fed a diet containing either 10% normal lard or a high linolenic lard for 4 weeks. The plasma and liver TAG levels in the high linolenic lard group were significantly lower than those in the normal lard group. The activity of the fatty acid synthase (FAS) of the liver in the high linolenic lard group was significantly lower than that in the normal lard group. The contents of n-3 PUFAs in hepatic total lipid, TAG fraction, and the phospholipids (PLs) fraction increased in the high linolenic lard group. The results indicate that the high linolenic lard suppressed hepatic FAS activity compared with the control lard, resulting in a lower concentration of plasma TAG. These results also suggest that pig meat containing high LNA may be more nourishing than normal pig meat.