Effect of dietary Lunaria oil on chick growth and organ lipid content.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of feeding Lunaria oil to chicks. A deit containing Lunaria oil produced poorer growth and lower feed conversion than one containing corn oil. White Plymouth Rock chicks had apparent digestibility values of 89.9% and 55.8% for corn and Lunaria oil, respectively. Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of heart, liver, and body cavity lipids (fat) showed that more erucic and nervonic acids accumulated in the fat of the birds fed Lunaria oil than in the fat of those fed corn oil.