Pathological Effects of Dietary Rapeseed Oils with High or Low Erucic Acid Content in Ducklings

Abstract

A rapeseed oil containing 50% erucic acid (RSO) and one containing 8.5% erucic acid (LER) were compared for pathogenicity in ducklings after feeding for 2 weeks or 3 months. RSO caused growth retardation, severe mortality, hydropericardium and pathological changes especially in heart, liver, skeletal muscles and spleen. After 3 months, cardiac fibrosis was observed. The animals fed LER for 2 weeks showed normal growth and no mortality, but some of them exhibited vacuolar changes of the heart and skeletal muscles. Hydropericardium was absent. After 3 months the lesions had largely disappeared leaving no permanent tissue alterations. These data show that an intake of ca. 4 cal.% erucic acid is well tolerated by ducklings.