Conversion of a Dietary Triglyceride Into Depot Fat in Fish and Lobster

Cod, trout, and lobsters were fed a triglyceride that contained oleic-9,10- 8 H acid in the β and oleic-1- I4 C acid in the α positions. The distribution of the labels in the α and β positions of the depot fat was then analyzed. The original distribution had been retained to a large extent in the lobster, indicating a retention of the β-monoglyceride structure of the dietary fat in this invertebrate. In the fish, there was an apparent partial retention of 8 H in the β position, but the 14 C of the originally α-bound acids was now almost randomly distributed. These results may be interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that the β-monoglyceride structure of dietary fat is partly retained by fish. It is clear, however, that in fish, though not in lobster, the larger part of the fat had been broken down completely before deposition.