Effects of feeding mustard oil diets on the collagen biosynthesis in various tissues of male rats.

30 rats were divided into 3 groups to study the effects of erucic-acid-rich mustard oil (MO) and MO plus fish oil and carnitine (MOFOC) diet as compared to groundnut oil (GNO) diet on the collagen biosynthesis in various tissues. Changes in collagen content and monoamine oxidase (MAO) of hearts, aorta, skeletal muscles, lungs and skin were determined after 24, 60 and 80 days of feeding, respectively. Incorporation of U-14C-proline into collagen of these tissues was also studied. MO diets increased the incorporation of U-14C-proline into total and acid-insoluble collagen in heart, skeletal muscles and lungs but this increase was of lower magnitude in heart and skeletal muscles as compared with MOFOC diet. Total and acid-insoluble collagen contents in all these tissues, except skin, were increased by MO diet and MOFOC diet retarded this increase. Similar trends were observed in the activities of MAO. The results suggest that the MO diet increases both the biosynthesis and maturation of collagen and MOFOC diet retards this trend. The response of various tissues being variable in this respect.