Free Choice Consumption of Spiced Diets by Rats

Abstract

A series of experiments was conducted in which rats were fed various spices in concentrations ranging from 5 to 0.05%. Weanling rats fed a spiced diet and then given a choice with an unspiced diet ate little of the spiced diet during the freechoice situation. A group of mature rats consumed approximately equal amounts of a spiced and an unspiced diet when given a choice, whereas a group of young rats consumed significantly less of the spiced diet. These results indicate that rats have a change in taste sensitivity with respect to spice with advancing age.