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Influence of Dietary Carbohydrates on Magnesium Utilization in the Chick^1,2,

Department of Animal Science, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana

Studies were conducted to investigate growth, mortality, feed consumption, plasma and femur magnesium levels, hemoconcentration, and magnesium balance in chicks fed diets deficient or marginally adequate in magnesium and differing in the source of carbohydrate. Four carbohydrate sources, glucose, sucrose, lactose and starch, and 4 levels of magnesium, 250, 300, 350 and 400 ppm, were fed in one or more of the studies. The results of these studies indicated that chicks fed diets containing lactose exhibited decreased mortality, increased feed and water consumption, higher plasma and femur magnesium levels, and higher hematocrit values than did chicks fed similar diets differing only in carbohydrate source. Weights of chicks fed diets containing lactose and 250 or 300 ppm of magnesium were slightly higher during the first 2 weeks of the experiment as compared with chicks fed diets containing different carbohydrate sources. Similar results were not observed for these chicks at 3 or 4 weeks of age nor for chicks fed 350 or 400 ppm of magnesium at any age, however. A final study measured magnesium balance in chicks fed either a glucose diet ad libitum, a lactose diet pair-fed to the glucose diet, or a lactose diet ad libitum. These studies suggested that one means by which lactose exerts a beneficial effect in diets marginal in magnesium content is through increased feed, and hence, increased magnesium consumption. Hemoconcentration may also be a factor partially responsible for the increased plasma magnesium levels of chicks fed the lactose diets.

² This work was supported in part by funds from Basic, Inc., Cleveland.

Manuscript received 3 August 1966.