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Digestibility and nutritional value of crude oil from three amaranth species
Author(s) -
Garcia Luis A.,
Alfaro Maria Antonieta,
Bressani Ricardo
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of the american oil chemists' society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.512
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1558-9331
pISSN - 0003-021X
DOI - 10.1007/bf02549297
Subject(s) - amaranth , cottonseed , food science , cottonseed oil , amaranthus hypochondriacus , chemistry , saponification value , saponification , iodine value , zoology , biology , biochemistry
Oils from a selection of Amaranthus caudatus, A. hypochondriacus and A. cruentus were extracted with hexane. The crude oils were analyzed for acid value, saponification and iodine number, and were included in basal casein diets for rat studies at 5 and 10% levels to replace equal amounts of refined cottonseed oil. The oils from A. cruentus and A. hypochondriacus were similar in the oil properties studied and different from A. caudatus . At either 5 or 10% food intake levels, weight gain and PER were not statistically different from values reported for cottonseed oil. True digestibility of amaranth oil was lower than that of cottonseed oil. A. cruentus oil gave the lowest digestibility. Oil levels induced statistical differences in food intake and digestibility. Oils from A. caudatus, A. hypochondriacus and cottonseed induced similar serum cholesterol levels, while oil from A. cruentus gave statistically higher values. Hemoglobin, hematocrit and serum proteins were similar among all groups. Microscopic analysis of the organs of the rats revealed some changes that were also found in cottonseed oil‐fed rats. It was concluded that crude amaranth oil has lower digestibility than cottonseed oil, but that it is not responsible for growth‐depressing effects when the seed is fed raw as compared to processed materials.