THE EVALUATION OF FATTY ACIDS PROFILE IN AVAILABLE HYDROGENATED OILS AND MARGARINES IN IRAN

Objective- Different fat types have different health effects and increasing evidence ‎indicates the greater importance of types of fat than total amounts of consumed fat ‎with respect to the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). While intake of ‎polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are negatively related to CAD, high ‎consumption of either saturated or trans fatty acids has detrimental effects on plasma ‎lipoproteins, and a positive relationship between their intake and risk of CAD has ‎frequently been reported. This study aimed to assess the fatty acids profile and trans ‎fats in hydrogenated oils and margarines currently available in Iran.
‎ Methods- Different commercial brands of margarines and hydrogenated oils were ‎collected. The total lipid of each sample was extracted, derivitized with 2-‎nitrophenylhydrazide and subjected to fatty acids analysis by HPLC.
‎ Results-The results showed that while all samples contain high amounts of trans fatty ‎acids, the means of total trans and saturated fats were 59.1 and 51.2% for ‎hydrogenated oils and margarines, respectively. In some samples the total trans and ‎saturated fatty acids were more than 70%.
‎ Conclusion- This study proposed that there are high levels of cholesterol-raising fatty ‎acids in available hydrogenated oils and margarines in Iran. Because hydrogenated ‎fats can be eliminated from the food supply by changes in processing that do not ‎require major efforts in education and behavioral modification, these changes would ‎be an extremely efficient and rapid method for substantially reducing rates of ‎coronary disease (Iranian Heart Journal 2003; 4 (2,3): 59-67)