Lipids and lipid oxidation with emphasis on cholesterol oxides in some Indian sweets available in London

Ghee ( clarified butter oil), a major ingredient in Indian sweets, is an important source of saturated fatty acids, cholesterol and cholesterol oxidation products ( COP) that are considered risk factors for atherosclerosis. The high frequency of atherosclerotic complications reported among the Indian immigrants in England prompted determination of lipids and lipid oxidation status of a ghee sample and 15 Indian sweets available in London supermarkets. The fatty acid profile of the samples shows saturated fats (about 73%), mainly composed of myristic, palmitic and stearic acids, except in two samples. There were large variations in thio-barbituric acid reacting substance values (19 - 260 mg/100 g) and total COP (1.4 - 51.2 mg/g lipids) among the sweet samples. Regular consumption of some of these sweets can be a source of considerable amounts of saturated fatty acids, cholesterol and COP in the diet and may contribute to atherosclerosis.