STUDIES ON THE NUTRITIVE VALUE OF LACTOSE AND GALACTOSE WITH THE SINGLE-FOOD CHOICE METHOD

Abstract

When [female] rats were fed diets consisting of lactose, galactose, dextrose, sucrose or butter fat alone or combinations of galactose with either dextrose or butter fat, survival on dextrose, sucrose, butter fat or combinations of dextrose-galactose and butter fat-galactose was significantly greater than on lactose or galactose alone. The poor nutritive showing of lactose may be due to inability on the part of the rat to hydrolyze it in adequate amounts. Under the conditions of the present expt. galactose was not utilized as a source of energy by the rat. Severe flaccid paralysis and cataracts were observed in animals fed dextrose-galactose or butter fat-galactose rations.