Cereal Chem 56:73 - 78.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Effects of Dietary Fiber on Nutritional Status of Weanling Mice.

K. Keim and C. Kies. Copyright 1979 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

A 28 day study was conducted to examine interactions between dietary fiber and nutritional status of Swiss White weanling mice. Nine groups of eight mice each were fed semipurified casein-based rations altered by additions of hemicellulose, cellulose, or lignin at levels of 5, 10, or 20% of the ration by weight. Rations did not vary in protein, fat, vitamin, or mineral content but did vary in energy concentration. Weight gain, protein efficiency ratio, feed efficiency ratio, nitrogen balance, fecal fat, fecal dry matter and total carcass composition were measured. The responses to variable dietary levels of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin were not identical. In general, as level of fiber increased, feed consumption decreased, as did weight gain, feed efficiency, protein efficiency, nitrogen balance, apparent digestibilities of protein and fat, percent of fat in feces and percent carcass fat. Total fecal fat, fecal nitrogen, and total fecal dry weight tended to increase with increased levels of fiber in the rations. Mice fed the 10% hemicellulose rations exhibited the best overall performance. Liver abnormalities were noted in mice fed lignin but not in mice fed cellulose or hemicellulose.