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Phosphatidylcholine (PC)

Lecithin is a mixture of phosphatides that are used in food industry, animal nutrition, cosmetics, and pharmacy. Phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG) are the major phospholipids found in plant tissues. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is the major membrane phospholipid. The PC contains an abundance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) which are excellent free radical traps. Free radicals generated by cellular monooxygenases, which are imbedded in the membrane's phospholipid bilayer, produce membrane injury by interacting with the PUFA's of membrane-associated PC. Phosphatidylcholines contain as a constituent fatty acid thereof an unsaturated fatty acid such as oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, docosahexaenic acid or arachidonic acid, so that they have the property of being readily oxidized. In pharmacy, pure phosphatidylcholine is used as active agent and as excipient, f.e. as emulsifying agent for the preparation of fat emulsions to be administered partenterally and for forming liposomes. In particular, for the parenteral use predominantly egg-phosphatidylcholine which should be free of heamolytically acting lysophospholipids, is used. Phosphatidylcholine is necessary for mobilization of fat out of the liver. If this process is impeded due to inadequate dietary PC, fat will accumulate in the liver, causing a reduction in feed consumption, a reduction in milk yield, an increase in health problems and a reduction in breeding performance. This represents an economic loss to dairy producers. Phosphatidylcholine can be deficient in dairy rations. When phosphatidylcholine is deficient, milk fat synthesis is reduced and dietary methionine can be diverted from its role in milk protein production to the production of phosphatidylcholine. That is an economic loss to dairy producers. The animal feed of the invention, which increases the amount of phosphatidylcholine to the diet can reduce that loss.

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