[The use of a multimix as a dietary supplement: study in rats]. / Uso de uma multimistura como suplementação alimentar: Estudo em ratos.

A Multimistura (MM)--sweet cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) leaf flour, wheat bran (Tritium aestivum L.), egg shell powder, pumpkin (Cucurbita Spp) and sunflower (Heliantus annus) seed flours--was added to a mixture of Beans, 7% (Phaseolus vulgaris) and Rice, 3% (Oryza sativa) and its effects, were assessed in weanling, male albino (Wistar) rats (n = 60). Animals were divided into 6 groups: groups 1, 2 and 3 were fed beans + rice + multimixture (B + R + MM), beans + rice (B + R) and 10% Casein, respectively; the remaining groups were maintained on a protein-free diet (PFD) for 14 d and then submitted to the same feeding protocol. Microbiological assays were performed in all MM samples. The Coefficient of Digestablity (CD), the Food Efficiency Ratio (FER), Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER), Net Protein Utilization (NPR), serum hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Ht), carcass total lipids were determined. Rats had their liver, brain, gonads, testes, spleen and left kidney removed for wet dry weights. Liver samples were histologically examined. The Mann-Whitney test was used. The protein content of B + R diet increased slightly after MM addition (0.23 g/100 g). Three out of four MM samples had moulds and yeasts. CD values were 90% and 70% for casein and B + R + MM-fed rats, respectively. The highest values for FER, PER and NPR were seen in the casein-fed rats without protein depletion. The casein-fed group had heavier organs (wet and dry weights) and higher values for carcass fat and serum Hb and Ht. Steatosis was present in both groups, with or without protein depletion. Short or long-term MM consumption, at least under our experimental conditions, had no significant effects on investigated parameters.

Liver and serum soluble protein changes and pathomorphology in undernourished mice with acute schistosomiasis mansoni.

Body, liver and spleen weights; histopathology of the liver, spleen and intestines; hepatic and serum soluble proteins changes were the parameters studied in undernourished Swiss albino mice experimentally infected with S. mansoni. Non-infected deficient animals had lower liver/body weight and spleen/body weight ratios as compared to the controls (22.60% casein group). Infected mice showed higher values regardless the type of diet. Undernourished infected subgroup showed a persistent exudative periovular reaction in the liver. Soluble hepatic proteins content and serum protein fractions appeared to be lower in the deficient infected mice. A significant difference was detected in the gammaglobulin fraction between infected and non-infected animals fed the control diet with higher values for the former. Our data suggest that the effects of malnutrition, per se, are sometimes more detrimental to the host than those due to Manson's schistosomiasis.

[Influence of aflatoxin B1 on growth of rats under various nutritional conditions]. / Influencia de aflatoxina B1 sobre o crescimento de ratos submetidos a diferentes condições nutricionais.

The effect of the addition of aflatoxin B1 was studied in 48 male, Sprague-Dawley rats weaned at 21 days of age. The animals of the experimental group received one of the following diets to which aflatoxin B1 was added (5 mg/kg ration), a protein-free diet, the regional basic diet of Northeast Brazil (RBD) containing 9.07% protein, and commercial casein diets (at 10 and 20%). The control groups were fed the same diets without aflatoxin B1. To detect possible body alterations, the body weight and food intake, as well as protein and aflatoxin B1 intakes were recorded. Significant alterations were detected in the experimental groups, especially in the protein-depleted animals, and in those fed the RBD and 10% commercial casein diets, when compared to their controls.