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Effects of Riboflavin Repletion during Different Developmental Phases on Behavioral Patterns, Brain Nucleic Acid and Protein Contents, and Erythrocyte Glutathione Reductase Activity of Male Rats^1,2,

Department of Food and Nutrition, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306

Effects of riboflavin repletion of rats at various stages of development were evaluated by biochemical and behavioral parameters. One group of dams received diets containing a suboptimal level of riboflavin, approximately 15 µg, and another group, control, received approximately 40 µg of the vitamin daily 2 weeks before mating. Rats fed the control diet received approximately 120 µg riboflavin daily during pregnancy and lactation; suboptimals received approximately 15 µg daily. Some rats fed the control diet were pair-fed to rats fed the suboptimal ration. A group of dams fed the suboptimal diet was switched to control after parturition. At weaning, male offspring were fed the same riboflavin levels their respective dams received before mating except one group, whose dams were fed the suboptimal diet, received the control diet. Male progeny of dams pair-fed the control diet to suboptimal rats were either pair-fed to offspring of suboptimal dams or to offspring riboflavin-repleted at weaning. Rats that always received the suboptimal diet had significantly higher general activity scores at 60 days of age than the scores of other animals. Brains from rats always fed the suboptimal diet and those receiving riboflavin repletion at weaning had lower, sometimes significantly, DNA, RNA, and protein contents than those from other animals. Riboflavin restriction during gestation and lactation, but not gestation alone, appeared to produce permanent alterations in general activity scores and brain nucleic acid and protein contents of male rat progeny.

KEY WORDS: • riboflavin repletion of rats • general activity measurements of rats • brain nucleic acid content • erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity

¹ Supported in part by Food and Nutrition Department, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla.

² Taken in part from a thesis submitted by Marianna K. Fordyce in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.S. degree at Florida State University, May 1974.

³ Present address: Human Nutrition and Foods Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va. 24061.

Manuscript received 30 January 1975.