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Magnesium in the Nutrition of the Rabbit¹

Five Figures

Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, College Station

Weanling rabbits fed a diet deficient in magnesium exhibit within a period of three to 6 weeks a syndrome involving hyperexcitability, convulsions, hypomagnesemia, and retardation of growth. The addition of magnesium to the diet of rabbits that have ceased to grow results in a prompt resumption of growth. The vasodilatation characteristic of magnesium deficiency in rats and dogs was not observed in rabbits.

The magnesium content of the blood of rabbits fed a diet adequate to prevent symptoms of a magnesium deficiency was approximately 4.4 mg per 100 ml, while the level for the plasma was about 1.6 mg per 100 ml. On a diet containing 20 mg or less of magnesium per 100 gm of diet the level in the blood shows a progressive decline to about the 8th week of about 3.1 mg per 100 ml for whole blood and 1.0 mg per 100 ml for plasma.

The magnesium requirement of the rabbit appears to be between 30 and 40 mg per 100 gm of diet.

Manuscript received 22 July 1948.