In the present study, there was a significant increase in body
weight of all groups compared to their respective baseline values.
In spite of lower food intake the body weight increment
was more in the 1HVCO, 5HVCO and 10HVCO groups compared
to the control and FVCO groups. The weight gain for
the FVCO fed group was lower compared to the control
group. This finding suggests that consumption of FVCO did
not lead to abnormal weight gain despite high saturated fatty
acid content. The saturated fatty acids in VCO consist of medium
chain fatty acids (MCFA) that are made up of 8–10 carbons.
MCFA has different characteristics compared to
long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) in terms of digestion, absorption,
biodegradation and body-fat accumulation.20