Efficacy of linoleic acid administered rectally as monoglyceride.

The potential of the rectal route for administration of essential fatty acids (EFA) as monoglyceride (MG) was investigated. EFA-deficient rats were supplemented with 14 mg linoleic acid/day for 3 days. Supplementation was either by oral administration as corn oil, orally as corn oil-derived MG or rectally as MG. The patterns of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in liver and serum lipids, characteristic of EFA deficiency, were altered in the direction of normalcy in similar magnitude by all modes of supplementation, indicating that the rectal route may be useful for administration of EFA. The amounts of phospholipids (PL) and free fatty acids (FFA) in liver changed by all modes of administration. The magnitude of change of total PL and of FFA in liver depended upon the chemical form in which linoleic acid was administered and the route of administration, indicating that these factors affect lipid metabolism.