Abstract
Summary
Although rats grow at a rapid rate on a synthetic diet, it is possible to obtain small increases in the rate of growth by the addition of liver and liver preparations. The differences can also be obtained when the basal ration contains adequate amounts of folic acid. A larger and more consistent response to liver can be demonstrated when a corn-soybean meal ration is used. The addition of liver to the synthetic ration fed female rats increased the percentage of young surviving during the lactation period.
A factor in liver has been shown to stimulate the growth of 5. faecalis. Assay with this organism indicates that an increased amount of the factor is excreted in the urine and stored in the liver of rats fed liver preparations. It is suggested that more rigorous methods are needed, such as prevention of coprophagy, use of natural rations or more extensive treatment of the components of the synthetic ration in order to devise suitable assay procedures.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.