Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals, Fourth Revised Edition, 1995

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Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals: Fourth Revised Edition, 1995

TABLE 2-2 Estimated Nutrient Requirements for Maintenance, Growth, and Reproduction of Rats

		Amount, per kg diet
Nutrient	Unit	Maintenance	Growth	Reproduction (Female)
Fat	g	50.0	50.0	50.0
Linoleic acid (n-6)	g	a	6.0^a	3.0^a
Linolenic acid (n-3)	g	R	R	R
Protein	g	50.0^b	150.0^b	150.0
Amino Acids^c
Arginine	g	ND	4.3	4.3
Aromatic AAs^d	g	1.9	10.2	10.2
Histidine	g	0.8	2.8	2.8
Isoleucine	g	3.1	6.2	6.2
Leucine	g	1.8	10.7	10.7
Lysine	g	1.1	9.2	9.2
Methionine + cystine^e	g	2.3	9.8	9.8
Threonine	g	1.8	6.2	6.2
Tryptophan	g	0.5	2.0	2.0
Valine	g	2.3	7.4	7.4
Other (including nonessentials)	g	^f	66.0	66.0
Minerals
Calcium	g	^g	5.0	6.3
Chloride^h	g	^g	0.5	0.5
Magnesium	g	^g	0.5	0.6
Phosphorus	g	^g	3.0	3.7
Potassium^h	g	^g	3.6	3.6
Sodium	g	^g	0.5	0.5
Copper	mg	^g	5.0	8.0
Iron	mg	^g	35.0	75.0
Manganese	mg	^g	10.0	10.0
Zincⁱ	mg	^g	12.0	25.0
Iodine	µg	^g	150.0	150.0
Molybdenum	µg	^g	150.0	150.0
Selenium	µg	^g	150.0	400.00
Vitamins
A (retinol)^j	mg	^g	0.7	0.7
D (cholecalciferol)^k	mg	^g	0.025	0.025
E (RRR-α-tocopherol)^l	mg	^g	18.0	18.0
K (phylloquinone)	mg	^g	1.0	1.0
Biotin (d-biotin)	mg	^g	0.2	0.2
Choline (free base)	mg	^g	750.0	750.0
Folic acid	mg	^g	1.0	1.0
Niacin (nicotinic acid)	mg	^g	15.0	15.0
Pantothenate (Ca-d-pantothenate)	mg	^g	10.0	10.0
Riboflavin	mg	^g	3.0	4.0
Thiamin (thiamin-HCl)^m	mg	^g	4.0	4.0
B₆ (pyridoxine)ⁿ	mg	^g	6.0	6.0
B₁₂	µg	^g	50.0	50.0
NOTE: Nutrient requirements are expressed on an as-fed basis for diets containing 10% moisture and 3.8–4.1 kcal ME/g (16–17 kJ ME/g) and should be adjusted for diets of differing moisture and energy concentrations. Unless otherwise specified, the listed nutrient concentrations represent minimal requirements and do not include a margin of safety. Higher concentrations for many nutrients may be warranted in natural-ingredient diets. R, required but no concentration determined; other long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may substitute for linolenic acid. ND, not determined. ^a Females require only 2 g/kg linoleate for growth. Separate requirements for maintenance have not been determined for linoleate. Requirements presented for growth will meet maintenance requirements. ^b Estimates based on highly digestible protein of balanced amino acid composition (e.g., lactalbumin). ^c Asparagine, glutamic acid, and proline may be required for very rapid growth (see text). ^d Phenylalanine plus tyrosine. Tyrosine may supply up to 50 percent of aromatic acid requirement. ^e Cystine may supply up to 50% of the methionine plus cystine requirement on a weight basis. ^f 41.3 g/kg diet as a mixture of glycine, L-alanine, and L-serine. ^g Separate requirements for maintenance have not been determined for minerals and vitamins. Requirements presented for growth will meet maintenance requirements. ^h Estimate represents adequate amount, rather than true requirement. ⁱ Higher concentration is required when ingredients that contain phytate (such as soybean meal) are included in the diet. ^j Equivalent to 2,300 IU/g. Requirement may also be met by 1.3 mg β -carotene/kg diet. Higher vitamin A concentration is needed under conditions of stress (e.g., surgical recovery). ^k Equivalent to 1,000 IU/kg. ^l Equivalent to 27 IU/kg. Higher concentration may be required if high-fat diets are fed. ^m Higher concentration may be required with low-protein, high-carbohydrate diets. ⁿ Estimate represents adequate amount, rather than true requirements.

EXAMPLES OF DIETS FOR RATS

The type of diet and its nutrient composition will vary according to experimental objectives (see Chapter 1). Most practical diets include nutrient concentrations that exceed requirements as a margin of safety. Examples of natural-ingredient diets based on detailed formula specifications and used successfully to maintain rat colonies at the National Institutes of Health and at other facilities are provided in Table 2-3. The ingredient specifications, however, have not been updated for some years and are not entirely in agreement with recommendations in this report.

As indicated in Chapter 1, natural-ingredient diets do not offer the same control over nutrient concentrations or potential contaminants as do purified diets. An example of a purified diet that has often been used in rat studies is given in Table 2-4. However, as there has been concern about the standardization and concentrations of some constituents, as well as the clinical observation of nephrocalcinosis in females when this diet is used (Reeves, 1989; Reeves et al., 1993a), a change in formulation is warranted. A committee of the American Institute of Nutrition (AIN) has reformulated and tested new purified diets for the

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