Nutritional Studies withBlattella germanica(L.) Reared Under Aseptic Conditions: II. A Chemically Defined Diet

Abstract

In nutritional studies the proper evaluation of the results depends upon the manifestations of deficiencies. It is essential, therefore, to control all the factors which enter into the nutritional functions of the organism under study. In order to do this, the intervention of symbiotic organisms should be avoided if possible and diets of known chemical entities should be formulated with the ingredients combined in known quantities. Using the cockroach,Blattella germanica(L.), the first condition can be approached, inasmuch as cockroaches can be made aseptic by freeing them from the fauna and flora of their intestinal tract and of their environment following the method described by House and Patton (1949). In the present study the second difficulty has been overcome by using diets formulated especially for this species, among the most important of which is a chemically defined food consisting of known quantities of amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, sterols and minerals.