Effects of Feeding Egg Yolk Prepared from Quails Fed Winged Bean Oil on Plasma and Liver Cholesterol and Fatty Acid Composition of Rats

The purpose of this experiment was to study the effects of feeding egg yolk prepared from quail fed winged bean oil on plasma and liver cholesterol and fatty acids composition in rats. Eggs were collected from laying quails that had been fed diets containing 5% of either animal tallow, soybean oil, corn oil or winged bean oil. Yolk powders (referred to as winged bean yolk, soybean yolk, etc.) were prepared and fed at the 15% level to weanling female Wistar rats for 28 days. Rats fed winged bean yolk had significantly lower body weight gain than did rats fed soybean yolk or animal tallow yolk. There are no significant effects on plasma total cholesterol, liver cholesterol and triglyceride concentration due to feeding yolk powder containing different oil. However, LDL-cholesterol increased and HDL-cholesterol decreased in rats fed winged bean yolk. Liver lipid of rats fed with winged bean yolk had a higher linoleic but a lower linolenic content than did those fed animal tallow yolk. However, rats fed with winged bean yolk had a lower linoleic content than did rats fed soybean yolk or corn yolk. In conclusion, winged bean yolk seemed to have had an adverse effect on rats.