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SIGNIFICANCE OF BODY WEIGHT OF 3‐WEEK OLD RATS IN PROTEIN EFFICIENCY RATIO (PER′) MEASUREMENTS
Author(s) -
HEGARTY P. V. J.,
AHN P. C.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.1977.tb01264.x
Subject(s) - casein , litter , body weight , zoology , breed , significant difference , biology , endocrinology , medicine , food science , ecology
The effect of initial body weight of 21‐day old male Sprague‐Dawley or Sprague‐Dawley derived rats on the determination of the .28‐day protein efficiency ratio (PER) of casein was studied. Body weights at 21 days of age ranged from 42–568 in Sprague‐Dawley, and from 56–68g for SpragueDawley derived rats. No significant difference in PER values for casein was obtained on the animals within breed groups having this range of body weights. Variation in body weight induced by ahering litter size after birth produced significant differences in PER values of the casein. Lower initial weights (normal‐size litters) resulted in higher PER values for the casein diet. The 21‐day old body weight of commercially available rats is apparently not a significant variable on PER values. Differences in litter size can be a source of variation in PER values, and may be a cause of very high or low values occasionally obtained within a group of rats from commercial sources.