Feeding experiments on rats with plants at different stages of development. Part II. 1

Abstract

This investigation was undertaken in order to ascertain the effect of supplementing a basal diet with dried samples of ungerminated, germinated and green corn. The object of the experiments was to see whether any growth-promoting substances were produced in the course of germination and “greening”.

Experiments with ten groups of rats on diets: (1) regular (normal); (2) S + “A” + “B” (3) S + “B” (4) S + “A” (5) S + “A” + ungerminated corn; (6) S + “B” + ungerminated corn; (7) S + “A” + germinated corn; (8) S + “B” + germinated corn; (9) S + “A” + green corn; (10) S + “B” + green corn—were carried out simultaneously under such conditions as to make the results, from a comparative standpoint, suggestive. During the first month each group of rats (four to a cage) receiving either ungerminated, germinated or green material, was given 4 gm. of such material per day; during the second month this was increased to 8 gm. and during the third month to 12 gm. The results at the end of the first month showed that aside from the group on the “regular” diet (1) the one showing the most notable increase in weight is group 10 (synthetic + “B” (yeast) + green). Since neither 6 (synthetic + “B” + ungerminated) nor 8 (synthetic + “B” + germinated) shows corresponding gains, the most obvious explanation is that a “growth” of vitamin (A?) or an increase in the quantity present, has taken place during “greening”. This view would fall in line with suggestions made by several workers in the field (for example, Drummond2 and Wilson'). But another explanation offers itself as a result of the following experiment: