The effects of food restriction on some biochemical parameters and certain bacterial groups in the cecum in Sprague Dawley rats

Figures & data

Table I.  Nutrient content of rodent diet.

Moisture (%)	12	Vitamin K (mg/kg)	1
Protein (%)	20	Vitamin B1 (mg/kg)	3
Crude fiber (%)	7	Vitamin B2 (mg/kg)	4
Crude ash (%)	8	Vitamin B6 (mg/kg)	1
Fat (%)	6	Vitamin B12 (mg/kg)	0.09
Metabolizable energy (Kcal/kg)	2650	Pantothenic acid (mg/kg)	1.5
Lysine (%)	1	Niacin (mg/kg)	10
Methionine (%)	0.6	Biotin (mg/kg)	0.08
Methionine + cysteine (%)	1	Choline chloride (mg/kg)	1000
NaCl (%)	0.2	Magnesium (ppm)	200
Calcium (%)	1	Iron (mg/kg)	300
Phosphorus (%)	0.9	Copper (mg/kg)	20
Sodium (%)	0.5	Manganese (mg/kg)	10
Vitamin A (IU)	300	Zinc (mg/kg)	4
Vitamin D (IU)	1000	Iodine (mg/kg)	1.3
Vitamin E (mg/kg)	60	Selenium (mg/kg)	0.3

Table II.  Mean body weight (g) and food consumption values of ad libitum (AL) group (g/day).

Body weight (mean±SEM)				Food consumption (mean±SEM)
1st week	2nd week	3rd week	4th week	1st week	2nd week	3rd week	4th week
222±6.99	240±8.39	253±8.73	266±9.28	17±0.18	18±0.58	21±0.60	21±0.48

Table III.  Mean food consumption of food-restricted rats (g/day) (n = 7).

Groups	1st week (mean±SEM)	2nd week (mean±SEM)	3rd week (mean±SEM)	4th week (mean±SEM)
20% restriction	14.54±0.54	14.46±0.51	15.09±0.51	15.01±0.52
40% restriction	12.16±0.40	11.39±0.39	11.14±0.43	10.47±0.41
60% restriction	7.90±0.23	6.82±0.22	6.15±0.23	5.17±0.24*

*n=4.

Table IV.  Mean body weights of rats fed ad libitum (control) and food-restricted rats (g) (n=7).

Groups	Pre-experimental period (mean±SEM)	1st week (mean±SEM)	2nd week (mean±SEM)	3rd week (mean±SEM)	4th week (mean±SEM)
Control	239.00±8.49	249.57±9.16*	260.29±9.24*^c	268.43±9.05**^c	282.29±9.99**^c
20% restriction	233.00±8.71	237.86±8.33*	235.86±7.98^bc	240.57±8.36*^b	245.57±6.78*^b
40% restriction	259.86±8.53	249.86±8.48*	232.14±9.02**^b	223.86±8.86**^b	217.86±10.28**^b
60% restriction	253.14±7.52	224.43±7.16*	192.14±7.10*^a	165.71±7.65**^a	†149.50±10.65**^a

In the same row differences between the mean body weights are significant in respect of pre-experimental period; *p < 0.01, ** p<0.001. Superscript letters a, b, and c indicate that values within the same column with different letters are statistically significant (p<0.001).

†n=4.

Table V.  Some biochemical variables in rats fed ad libitum (control) and food- restricted rats (n=7).

Variables	Control (mean±SEM)	20% restriction (mean±SEM)	40% restriction (mean±SEM)	60% restriction* (mean±SEM)	p value
Total protein (g/dl)	6.11±0.16^b	6.32±0.21^b	6.28±0.34^b	4.98±0.16^a	<0.05
Albumin (g/dl)	3.72±0.09^b	3.52±0.05^b	3.54±0.20^b	3.08±0.08^a	<0.05
Creatinine (mg/dl)	0.52±0.03	0.53±0.04	0.52±0.04	0.54±0.01	NS
Urea (mg/dl)	35.82±1.65^ab	30.20±1.55^a	48.00±6.58^b	101.75±8.37^c	<0.01
Ammonia (µg/ml)	1.22±0.30	1.14±0.17	1.18±0.23	1.89±0.38	NS
Glucose (mg/dl)	167.04±7.08^c	189.21±11.18^c	118.50±8.44^b	78.88±14.56^a	<0.001
Triglycerides (mmol/l)	0.39±0.05	0.33±0.05	0.30±0.03	0.22±0.05	NS
Cholesterol (mg/dl)	62.91±1.94^b	59.42±2.38^b	61.57±3.98^b	39.10±5.05^a	<0.01
ALT (IU/l)	35.14±1.49^b	33.43±2.03^b	42.43±2.74^b	108.50±32.87^a	<0.001
AST (IU/l)	74.57±8.75^b	71.57±5.64^b	75.43±5.53^b	246.50±45.19^a	<0.001
Sodium (mmol/l)	136.53±1.37	137.69±1.83	137.50±0.75	135.35±1.21	NS
Potassium (mmol/l)	4.32±0.13	4.40±0.24	4.52±0.18	3.84±0.46	NS
Chloride (mmol/l)	104.90±0.50	105.36±0.53	106.63±0.39	105.93±1.26	NS

Superscript letters a, b, and c mean that values within the same row with different letters are statistically significant. NS, not significant.

*n=4.

Table VI.  Weight (g), pH, and microbiota of cecum in rats fed ad libitum (control) and food-restricted rats (log₁₀ cfu/g) (n=7).

Variables	Control (mean±SEM)	20% restriction (mean±SEM)	40% restriction (mean±SEM)	60% restriction* (mean±SEM)	p value
Cecum weight	0.76±0.06^c	0.64±0.02^bc	0.60±0.04^b	0.38±0.02^a	< 0.01
Total aerobes	6.77±0.35^ab	5.59±0.14^a	5.77±0.44^ab	6.96±0.64^b	< 0.05
Total anaerobes	8.56±0.16	8.83±0.29	8.40±0.15	8.39±0.22	NS
Lactobacilli	8.33±0.12^ab	8.86±0.23^b	8.58±0.11^b	7.90±0.38^a	< 0.05
Coliforms	5.80±0.84	3.50±0.67	4.10±0.55	5.65±0.71	NS
Cecum pH	6.82±0.01	6.74±0.06	6.80±0.05	6.86±0.03	NS

Superscript letters a, b, and c mean that values within the same row with different letters are statistically significant. NS, not significant.

*n=4.

Table VII.  Correlations between pH values and bacteria.

		pH	Total aerobes	Coliforms	Total anaerobes
Total aerobes	r	0.228
	p	0.262
Coliforms	r	0.094	0.664
	p	0.649	0.000
Total anaerobes	r	−0.240	−0.208	0.213
	p	0.247	0.318	0.307
Lactobacilli	r	−0.259	−0.610	−0.285	0.653
		0.211	0.001	0.167	0.001
	n	25	25	25	24

**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed).

Figure 1.  Total aerobic bacteria.

Figure 2.  Total anaerobic bacteria.

Figure 3.  Lactobacilli.

Figure 4.  Coliform bacteria.