Excretion of Bile Acids by Three Men on Corn Oil and Butterfat Diets

The excretion of fecal bile acids was determined in three adult males during the last 4 days of eight dietary periods of 8 days each, during which 35 to 60% of total calories was provided by corn oil or butterfat. The bile acids were identified and individually estimated by a combination of thin-layer and gas chromatography. The total output in two subjects on butterfat (three samples) was 165–288 mg/day, whereas a third subject on a similar diet (two samples) excreted only 38–57 mg/day. On corn oil, the latter subject excreted 37 mg/day of total fecal bile acid and, on mixed corn oil – butterfat diet, 120 mg/day. The low fecal bile acid output in this subject was comparable to that of one of the other two subjects (25 mg/day) on a hydrogenated corn oil diet. The qualitative fecal bile acid patterns were similar with both high-fat diets and resembled those observed earlier on fat-free regimens. Because of the large subject and sample variations, the significance of any quantitative differences in the fecal bile acid excretion with these diets remains in doubt.