Studies on the Utilization of Various Starches and Sugars in the Rat

Abstract

Various types of dietary carbohydrates were fed to growing rats for 28 days with either casein or wheat gluten as the source of dietary protein. Unmodified potato starch and potato amylose resulted in increases in body weight gains and enlarged ceca when casein supplied a dietary protein level of 6%. The same effect was shown when wheat gluten was the dietary protein at either a 9 or 15% protein level. These 2 sources of carbohydrate gave relatively poor weight gains and protein efficiency values when the casein level of the diet was increased to 15% protein. Unmodified corn, wheat, rice, tapioca, and amioca starches, as well as maltose, corn amylopectin, and potato amylopectin gave normal body weight gain values, protein efficiency ratios and ceca weights at both the high and low dietary protein levels. Lactose, unmodified arrowroot starch, fructose, and dextrose gave inferior body weight gains and protein efficiency values. The prevalance of diarrhea and an enlargement of the ceca gave evidence that commercial samples of corn dextrin and pregelatinized amioca starch were not as well utilized as unmodified corn starch or unmodified amioca starch.