Conclusions
The effect of a high fat diet on intestinal elimination depends at least partially on the component acids of the fats fed. Dogs fed pure saturated fatty acids behaved in approximately the same manner as when fed the corresponding pure triglycerides. Diarrhea resulted from the feeding of diets containing caprylic, caproic or butyric acids, or the glycerides of these acids. Constipation followed feedings of stearic acid or tristearin. Although trilaurin produced diarrhea, elimination was normal after feeding lauric acid.
These effects cannot be attributed to the presence in the feces of large amounts of free fatty acids or of soaps of the fatty acids, because the low acid numbers of the total lipid and neutral ether extracts exclude the possibility of large amounts of free acid. The low acid numbers of the soap fractions rule out the possibility of large amounts of soaps of fatty acids.
The low acid numbers of all of the fractions indicate that neither the fatty acid as fed nor its soaps are present in the feces to any extent. These low acid numbers can only be explained by assuming that small amounts of free fatty acids are mixed with large amounts of non-titratable material or by a very large molecule having an acid radicle.
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From the Department of Physiological Chemistry, the Ohio State University, College of Medicine, aided by a grant from the Comly Research Fund of the Ohio State University.
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Wikoff, H.L., Marks, B.H., Caul, J.F. et al. Some effects of high lipid diets on intestinal elimination IV. Saturated fatty acids. Jour. D. D. 14, 58–62 (1947). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03001484
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03001484