Food Safety and Environmental Stewardship Program

The incidence of spontaneous mammary tumors in C3H mice at 35 wk was higher in mice fed rations containing cottonseed oil than in mice fed fats of comparable fatty acid composition. The time to 50% (T50) incidence was also shorter in the first group. The fatty acid composition of tissue lipids from mice fed the cottonseed oil showed changes indicating the presence of cyclopropene fatty acids-higher levels of saturates and lower oleate/stearate and palmitoleate/palmitate ratios. A possible association between the development of a spontaneous mammary tumor in the C3H mouse and the presence of cyclopropene fatty acids in the cottonseed oil is indicated.