QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Francis, L. D. Articles by Mendel, L. B. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Francis, L. D. Articles by Mendel, L. B.

Growth of Rats Fed High Protein Rations Supplemented by Different Amounts and Combinations of Vitamins B (B₁), G (B₂), and B Complex^{* ,}

(From the Laboratory of Physiological Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut)

Unilateral nephrectomy per se did not impair the ability of rats to grow when fed a ration containing any one of the three given levels of casein.

Rats restricted to a diet containing 50 per cent of casein grew as well as their controls having 18 per cent of this protein in their rations and better than rats confined to a 90 per cent casein-containing dietary.

Only 28 per cent of the groups maintained on the food containing 90 per cent of casein made gains in weight equal to those of their controls which had 18 per cent of casein in their ration.

Of the five groups of rats fed the highest level of protein supplemented with yeast alone, 80 per cent of the groups made inferior gains in weight in comparison with their controls and all were inferior to the groups of rats whose diet contained 50 per cent of casein.

The optimum level of dietary protein for the production of rapid growth, appears to lie between 18 and 50 per cent.

The best growth-promoting supplement, when yeast was used alone, was 0.8 gm. This quantity fed with the control diet produced significantly better growth than either the 0.4 or the 1.6 gm. level. With the rations containing more protein, however, any one of the levels of yeast served equally well for stimulating growth.

The best growth attained on the ration containing 18 per cent of casein was by the use of 0.8 gm. of yeast and also by the 1.6 gm. level of yeast plus tikitiki extract.

The best growth recorded for the highest protein diet occurred when the 1.6 gm. level of yeast was fortified with either tikitiki extract or with autoclaved yeast.

In the absence of yeast, both an excess of B with a minimum of G, or an excess of G along with a small amount of B are unsatisfactory growth stimulants. Probably autoclaved yeast and tikitiki extract furnish only some of the necessary B vitamins.

There is some evidence that better utilization of food for growth is possible by feeding high protein rations in contrast to the control diet containing 18 per cent of casein.

Aided by a grant from the Committee on Scientific Research of the American Medical Association.

Manuscript received 26 October 1932.