LIPID CONTENT AND COMPOSITION OF ANIMAL 591 



A number of high-melting fats or "butters" contain a large percentage of 

 stearic acid, or of palmitic and stearic acids. Without exception, all these 

 fats are obtained from tropical plants. The fats with the highest propor- 

 tion of stearic acid belong to the genera Guttiferae (garcinia family), and 

 Sapotaceae (sapodilla family). Thus, Allanblackia sacleuxii Kagne ("hua," 

 a bouandja-like plant) 333 and Allanblackia klainei Pierre (garcinia, bouan- 

 dja from the Belgian Congo), 334 which have 82 and 62% of stearic acid, 

 respectively, are both African tropical plants belonging to the genus 

 Guttiferae. 



Thus, it would appear that, as a result of climatic conditions, only liquid 

 oils with a large content of unsaturated acids are to be found in plants from 

 cold regions. On the other hand, the distribution of high-melting fats or 

 butters having a large proportion of saturated acids is confined to the 

 tropics. Highly unsaturated acids may likewise occur in the tropical plants. 



e. The Effect of Exercise on the Distribution of Storage Fat. According 

 to the results of Reed and associates, 250 no change in the distribution of fat 

 was noted, whether rats were inactive or active, or whether or not they were 

 subjected to a limited diet. However, forced activity or voluntary activ- 

 ity at night did cause an increase in the proportion of intermuscular fat 

 over that in the control groups. In the case of the rats on the low-fat diet, 

 forced activity and undernutrition resulted in a decreased storage of genital 

 fat. These results were later confirmed by Bloor, 251 who reported that an 

 artificial enhancement of activity by exercise through second and third 

 generations results in higher concentrations of cholesterol and phospholipid 

 in the muscles of rats. A summary of the experiments of Reed et al. 2b0 is in- 

 cluded in Table 15 (page 592). 



f. The Effect of Diet on the Distribution of Storage Fat. Although the 

 total fat stored in the fat depots is markedly higher on a high-fat diet than 

 on a high-carbohydrate ration, as is evident from Table 11, the distribution 

 of the fats in the several fat depots is not appreciably altered. The same 

 conclusion can be reached by an examination of Table 15, which records 

 the data on the distribution of storage fat in male rats receiving a low-fat 

 diet (corn), or high-fat diets consisting of soybean oil or coconut oil. 



Although the distribution of fats between the several fat depots does not 

 appear to be greatly altered in the rat by variations in fat intake, Pitts 335 

 observed that, in the guinea pig, the fat content of the liver, spleen, and 

 central nervous system was independent of changes in total body fat, which 



333 H. Jumelle, Les huiles vtgttales, Paris, 1921, p. 228; cited by T. P. Hilditch, The 

 Chemical Constitution of the Natural Fats, 2nd ed., Wiley, New York, 1947, p. 194. 



334 L. Adriaens, Mat. grasses, 25, 9931-9932, 9961-9962 (1933). 

 336 G. C. Pitts, Federation Proc., 12, 109 (1953). 



