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 Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Grace, N. D. Articles by O'Dell, B. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Grace, N. D. Articles by O'Dell, B. L.

Potassium Requirement of the Weanling Guinea Pig¹

Department of Agricultural Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

The potassium requirement of the weanling guinea pig was evaluated over an 8-week period, using a diet based on casein protein and containing by calculation 0.3% sodium and 35 mEq of excess cation/100 g of diet. The potassium requirement, estimated from regression analysis, was 0.46% when the potassium was fed as the acetate and 0.54% when fed as the chloride. When suboptimal levels of potassium were supplied as the chloride, the addition of excess cations in the form of sodium acetate improved the growth rate; but when potassium was supplied as the acetate, regardless of the level, the addition of sodium acetate did not significantly influence the growth rate. Animals fed diets based on soybean protein and 0.5% of DL-methionine grew more rapidly than those fed casein diets, but still 0.4% of potassium supported as rapid growth rate as 1.6%. It may be concluded that excess cations are essential in the guinea pig's diet and that the potassium requirement does not exceed 0.5% when the cation level is adequate.

Manuscript received 14 August 1967.