Lipids of the intestinal mucosa of normal and essential fatty acid deficient rats

Mucosal lipids were isolated from the proximal, middle, and distal intestinal sections of rats fed diets containing either 10% corn oil or 10% hydrogenated coconut oil, the latter diet being deficient in essential fatty acids. By a combination of column and thin-layer chromatography, the lipids were fractionated and the major components found to consist of triglycerides, free fatty acids, cholesterol, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylethanolamine. Several minor constituents were present. Triglycerides and free fatty acids were generally present in higher concentrations in animals fed corn oil, and the concentration of mucosal triglycerides decreased towards the distal end of the intestine whereas free fatty acids increased in this group. Essential fatty acid deficiency resulted in lower levels of linoleic and arachidonic acids and higher levels of palmitoleic, oleic, and eicosatrienoic acids in the mucosal lipids. Mono- and di-enoic fatty acids tended to decrease in concentration from the proximal to the distal end of the intestine; the polyunsaturated acids and, to some extent, the saturated acids, were lowest in the proximal section of the intestine.