Abstract
A mixed diet of cereals and pulses was used in cooked and uncooked forms for growth studies with young albino rats. The feeding responses and gain in weight were compared with a commercial rat food containing 24% protein. There were no significant differences in the growth patterns among the three diets. The growing rats consumed 8·5 to 9 g/100 g body weight per day which decreased after the tenth week. The feeding patterns of adult albino rats of both sexes were similar for both cooked and uncooked basal diets. The basal diet seems to be best suited for the albino rats. Since cooking did not enhance either palatability or the diet consumption, dry diets are suggested for rat feeding. Dry basal diet is also recommended to evaluate sub-acute and chronic toxicity of all pesticides particularly those which are thermolabile.
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Krishnakumari, M.K., Rajalakshmi, D., Sreenivasan, V. et al. Feeding responses of young and adult albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) to a mixed basal diet. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 88, 367–375 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03179116
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03179116