Cyclic fatty acid monomers (CFAM), which occur from the intramolecular cyclisation of linoleic and linolenic acids, are subsequently present in some edible oils and are suspected to induce metabolic disorders. One may suggest that the presence of a ring would alter the ability of the organism to oxidise these molecules. In order to test this hypothesis, we assessed the oxidative metabolism of CFAM in rats. For this purpose, rats were force-fed from 1.5 to 2.6 MBq of [1-14 C]linoleic acid, [1-14

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... C]-linolenic acid, [1-14 C]-CFAM-18:2 or [1-14 C]-CFAM-18:3, and 14 CO 2 production was monitored for 24h. The animals were then sacrificed and the radioactivity was determined in different tissues. No significant differences in 14 CO 2 production were found 24h after the administration of CFAM and their respective precursors. Our data clearly demonstrate that, at least for the first β-oxidation cycle, CFAM are oxidised in a similar way as both essential fatty acids. heating oil / essential fatty acids / oxidation / metabolism * Corresponding author: Lionel.Bretillon@dijon.inra.fr