A COMPARISON OF THE NUTRITIVE VALUE OF DEXTROSE AND SUCROSE AND OF THE EFFECTS PRODUCED ON THEIR UTILIZATION BY THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE

Abstract

On a diet in which sucrose constituted the sole source of nourishment, 11 [female] rats of an avg. age of 63 days and body wt. of 133 g. survived for an avg. of 37 days, as did also 21 [female] rats of an avg. age of 64 days and body wt. of 137 g. on dextrose. The 2 groups were equally active and showed the same rate of wt. loss. The avg. daily intake of sucrose was lower. When offered access to a 0.02% soln. of thiamine hydrochloride the rats given dextrose lived 74 days, the rats given sucrose only 56 days. The rats on sucrose ate appreciably less food; for the 1st 30 days they were as active as those on dextrose, then less active. They developed a vit. A deficiency sooner than did rats on dextrose. When this was eliminated they lived nearly as long, showed similar body wt. curves and equal activity. At no time did rats on any of the diets develop signs of dietary deficiency other than that of cornification of the vaginal cells. This is probably due to the fact that the animals were able to adjust their caloric intake to their ability to utilize the food.