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Citrate Metabolism of Preschool Children

New York State College of Home Economics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

The citric acid metabolism of four preschool children was studied over an experimental period of 16 weeks. The children were on a controlled diet which was supplemented with 100 mg. of ascorbic acid, 3.38 gm. potassium citrate, or equivalent amounts of orange juice as indicated. The results were as follows:

1. On the basal diet the four children excreted an average of 55, 93, 100 and 247 mg. citric acid in the urine, or 3, 6, 7, and 13 mg./kg. of body weight.

2. The addition of 100 mg. of ascorbic acid to the basal diet did not cause consistent changes in citrate excretion, and no relationship was found between ascorbic acid "utilization" and citrate excretion.

3. The addition of 3.38 gm. of potassium citrate to the basal diet, with or without the addition of ascorbic acid, caused a definite increase in excretion of citrates, consistent in amount for all four children, averaging 153 to 167 mg., or 7.1 to 8.1% of the added citrate intake.

4. The addition of an amount of orange juice containing an amount of citrate approximately equivalent to that in the potassium citrate supplement caused an average increase in citrate excretion of 63 to 126 mg. or 2.8 to 7.0% of the added citrate intake.

5. The increase in citrate excretion on the addition of potassium citrate or orange juice to the diet appears to be related to the rise in alkalinity of the urine rather than to the citrate content of the diet.