Effect of a Diet Rich in Interesterified, Non-Interesterified and Trans Fats on Biochemical Parameters and Oxidative Status of Balb-c Mice

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different modified fats on the body weight, biochemical profile, and biomarkers of hepatic oxidative status in Balb-c mice. The animals were divided into four groups and fed for 75 days with a normolipidic (Control Group, CG) or hiperlipidic diets (40% kcal) containing a commercial interesterified fat (IFG) rich in palmitic acid (39%);a blend of non-interesterified fat (NIFG), with 2-fold less saturated fatty acids at the sn-2 position of triacylglycerols;or a partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (PHFG), source of trans fatty acid (20%) and of linolenic acid (6%). The mice of the IFG and NIFG presented similar results in all evaluated parameters. The serum biochemical profile and hepatic oxidative stress markers in mice of the PHFG were similar to CG, except for total cholesterol (TC) which was significantly higher (p < 0.05) for the mice of the PHFG. The mice feed with interesterified fat (IFG) showed serum TC (p < 0.01), non-HDL-C (p < 0.05), glucose (p < 0.05) and hepatic reduced glutathione values (2.7 fold, p < 0.05) and glutathione reductase activity (2.4 fold, p < 0.001) significantly higher when compared to the mice fed with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (PHFG). The hydrogenated fat source of trans fatty acid (20%) had less important metabolic effects than fats containing amounts of palmitic acid (interesterified or non-interesterified). Our results suggest that the replacement of hydrogenated fats by interesterified fats may not be such a simple solution to reduce or eliminate trans fatty acids in foods.