NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF MODIFIED FATS AND OILS 927 



ensued most frequently following administration of a synthetic fat con- 

 taining largely C9-, C10-, and Cn-earbon fatty acids. The same diet in 

 which 00% of the calories was present as (toconut or as peanut oil produced 

 no similar symptoms. When rats were fed synthetic diets with triglycerides 

 ol)tained from fatty acids with 10 and 11 carbons, they developed a shaggy 

 coat and severe spastic paresis of the legs within four to six days. Ai-eas of 

 softening in the spinal cord and medulla, and meningeal l;)leeding, were ob- 

 served on autopsy. When synthetic fat was removed from the diet, the 

 symptoms gradually regressed. These authors demonstrated similar toxic 

 effects in monkeys. Harris ct al.^^^ reported that, when a synthetic tri- 

 glyceride containing all of the acids as dihydroxystearic acid was fed to 

 weanling rats at levels of about 2% as replacement for equal amounts of 

 hj^drogenated fat, the rats gained more weight and showed superior gain- 

 in-\veight per g. of food intake. The weight increase was due to better 

 growth and development, and not to deposition of adipose tissue. On the 

 other hand, tri-trihydroxystearoglyceride exertedlittleif any influence upon 

 growth and development. The difference in effectiveness of these com- 

 pounds maj^ be due entirely to differences in melting point. 



(3) Acetoglycerides 



When acetyl groups are introduced into the glyceride molecules in place 

 of one or more of the long-chain fatty acids, fats are formed with interesting 

 and unusual properties. These fats were described almost simultaneously 

 by Feuge et al}"^^-^^^ and by Baur, Jackson, and Lange.^oi-^^^ 



Feuge et al.^^^ prepared acetostearins by reacting acetic anhydride with 

 monostearins. The melting points of the products depended upon the 

 purity of the monostearin and the degree of acetylation, and varied between 

 37 °C. and 60°C. Inasmuch as these acetostearins may be useful as coating 

 fats for foods, their melting range is important. ^^^ As far as chemical 

 properties such as resistance to oxidation, and stability at high tempera- 



398 R. S. Harris, H. Sherman, and E. E. Lockhart, Arch. Biochem., 5, 63-70 (1944). 



399 R. D. Feuge, E. J. Vicknair, and N. V. Lovegren, J. Am. Oil Chemists' Soc, 29, 

 11-14(1952). 



■'™ R. (). Fenge, E. J. Vicknair, and N. V. Lovegren, ./. Am. Oil Chemists' Soc, 30, 288- 

 287(1953). 



■"" F. J. Baur and W. Lange (to the Procter and Gamble Co.), U.S. Patent No 2,614,- 

 937 {Oct. 21, 1952). 



«== F. L. Jackson (to the Procter and Gamble Co.), U. S. Patent No. 2,615,159 (Oct. 

 21,1952). 



«3 F. J. Baur (to the Procter and Gamble Co.), U. S. Patent No. 2,615,160 (Oct. 21, 

 1952). 



