To investigate exogenous triacylglycerol turnover, the time courses for labelled triolein in the liver, plasma and epididymal adipose tissue (adipose tissue) after oral administration to rats fed a fat-free or 10 % corn oil diet for 3 d after fasting overnight were examined for 10 d. After the administration of labelled triolein to rats fed the fat-free diet, the incorporation (dpm/g) into total lipids of the liver and adipose tissue each reached the maximum in 8 h and was seven times higher in the adipose tissue than in the liver. The half-lives of total lipid radioactivities during the decreasing phases were 0·39 and 2·58 d, respectively, in the rapid and slow phases of the decay curve in the liver, and 4·78 d in only one phase of the adipose tissue. Radioactivity after administration of labelled triolein was mostly found in the oleic acid in the tissues. The half-life of oleic acid was 3·92 d in the adipose tissues. These half-lives were similar in both dietary groups. Thus, although dietary corn oil reduced the triolein incorporation to cellular lipids in comparison to the fat-free diet, it did not affect these half-lives. The labelled triacylglycerol–oleic acid stayed abundantly intact for a long time in the adipose tissue and was scarcely changed to other fatty acids, whereas it was slightly incorporated into total lipids and quickly metabolized in the liver. Non-essential fatty acids may be mostly endogenous in the liver but may be exogenous and endogenous in adipose tissue.