OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine if the use of soybean oil deodorization distillate as an alternative source of vitamin E, both in natura and neutralized, affected the growth of Wistar rats. The effects on the Food Conversion Ratio and the Net Protein Efficiency Ratio for casein were also determined. METHODS: Recently weaned, male, Specific Pathogen Free rats, fed on the AIN-93G formulated diet, were divided into five experimental groups, each with 10 animals, and supplemented by oral-gastric drip: the control and no protein groups were supplemented with olive oil (placebo); group B was supplemented with crude soybean oil deodorization distillate; group N was supplemented with neutralized soybean oil deodorization distillate and group E was supplemented with EphinalÒ. Groups B, N and E received the vitamin mixture depleted with respect to vitamin E. RESULTS: The weight increases of the rats and the ratios calculated for groups control and E gave higher values than for the other groups (p<0.05). At the end of the experiment, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) between groups B and N with respect to weight gain, showing values 32% lower than for groups control and E. Groups control and E showed the highest values for Protein Efficiency Ratio, 3.9 and 4.0, and for Food Conversion Ratio, 0.38 and 0.41, respectively, showing no significant difference between these two groups. Group B showed lower Protein Efficiency Ratio and Food Conversion Ratio values, 3.0 and 0.26, than group N, 3.5 and 0.32, showing that neutralization of the soybean oil deodorization distillate reduced possible anti-nutritional or toxic effects of this residue. CONCLUSION: It was shown that the use of soybean oil deodorization distillate had a negative effect on the weight gain of rats and on the indexes of diet and protein quality of the casein.
soybean oil; vitamin E; casein; nutritive value; rats
