FACTORS AFFECTING THE EFFICIENCY OF A CHEMICALLY DEFINED DIET.
Abstract
The retarded growth of rats fed a chemically defined diet has been attributed to the high osmolality of the diet. This investigation was undertaken to study the effect of various carbohydrates on such diets. This idea was based on the premise that the higher molecular weights of certain carbohydrates should reduce the osmolality created by the lower molecular weight of the amino acids. Results show that when starch was used in these diets, the rats ate more and grew better. In most cases, glucose supported better growth than did sucrose in an amino acid diet. These data do not support the hypothesis of an osmotic effect. The data on stomach emptying pattern revealed that rats fed with starch-amino acid diet empty their stomach contents slower than those receiving amino acid diets containing glucose or sucrose. These data also suggest that the better growth of rats on agar gel diets could be due to the delay in stomach emptying rather than to the water in the diet. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0647836
Entities
People
- Yuoh Ku
Organizations
- Monsanto