Triglycerides are absorbed by the lymphatic system and have various functions in the body. It has been shown that some types of beta-glucans have a positive effect on the systemic concentrations of cholesterol and lipid, presumably through interference with the absorption of lipid and/ or reabsorption of bile acids. In the current study we investigated the acute effects of ingesting 2 g of beta-glucan concentrates derived from barley beta-(1 -> 3)(1 -> 4)-D-glucan or yeast beta-(1 -> 3)(1 -> 6)-D-glucan on fatty acid content and composition in lymph and serum of 10 female pigs (initial weight 34.7 +/- 1.1 kg) fitted with a permanent catheter in the jejunal lymphatic trunk in a cross-over design. Lymph was collected continuously for 8 h followed by a spot sample taken 24 h after. A significant effect of time after feeding was observed for all fatty acids in serum and for 18: 0, 18: 2 omega 6 and 18: 3 omega 3 in lymph, but a significant effect of beta-glucan was only observed for 14: 0 (p = 0.049) and 22: 6 omega 3 (p = 0.048) in lymph and 18: 0 (p = 0.019) in serum. While the concentration of dietary fatty acids increased postprandially in lymph, the concentration of arachidonic and docahexanoic acid tended to decrease. Furthermore, there was a drop in concentration of all fatty acid in serum 1 h after the meal.