1. The influence of a deficiency or surplus of thiamin in the diet on voluntary ethanol consumption, ethanol elimination rate and blood acetaldehyde concentration was studied in rats.

2. Both the high-thiamin diet containing 20 mg thiamin hydrochloride/kg and the thiamin deficient diet containing no measurable thiamin produced obvious functional effects on thiamin metabolism in rat tissues after 4 weeks as demonstrated by measurements of the blood transketolase (sedoheptulose-7-phosphate: D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate glycolaldehyde-transferase; EC 2.2.1.1) activity and the extent of thiamin pyrophosphate-stimulation of the enzyme.

3. During the first week on the test diets the prospective ethanol free-choice groups had 1.72 M-ethanol as their only drinking-fluid. Subsequently they had a choice between ethanol and tap water for three weeks. During the free-choice period the rats on the high-thiamin diet drank only one-fifth as much ethanol as the rats given the optimum diet with 4 mg thiamin hydrochloride/kg.

4. The thiamin-deficient rats showed a significant tendency to increase ethanol drinking, when intake was expressed relative to total energy intake, but their intake of ethanol on a g/kg body-weight basis was approximately the same as that of the group given the optimum-diet.

5. The observed differences in voluntary ethanol drinking associated with different levels of dietary thiamin cannot be explained by changes in the ethanol elimination rate or the acetaldehyde accumulation in blood during the oxidation of ethanol.

1. Male Black and White Hooded rats were allocated at birth to foster mothers in litters of three, nine or sixteen. At weaning animals from each of these litter sizes were ad lib.-fed on a stock diet forming three ad lib.-fed control groups. At weaning further animals from litters of nine and sixteen were fed on the stock diet in restricted amounts until 12 weeks of age. These undernourished animals were then rehabilitated by being allowed ad lib. access to the stock diet.

2. Five animals from each group were killed at various stages of the experiment, their bodies analysed for fat and nitrogen, and the size and number of cells determined in four specific fat depots.

3. The previously undernourished rats failed to make a complete recovery and were significantly smaller than ad lib.-fed animals from the same litter size at 32 weeks of age when the experiment was terminated.

4. The previously undernourished rats from litters of nine deposited a significantly greater proportion of fat in their bodies during rehabilitation than ad lib.-fed animals from litters of nine over the same gain in body-weight. The previously undernourished rats from litters of sixteen deposited the same proportion of fat in their bodies during rehabilitation as ad lib.-fed animals from litters of three, nine and sixteen over the same gain in body-weight.

5. There were no significant differences in apparent or total fat cell numbers between ad lib.-fed animals and undernourished-rehabilitated animals at any of the four sites studied at 32 weeks of age.

1. Male Wistar rats were allocated at birth to foster mothers in litters of three, nine or sixteen. At weaning animals from each litter size were ad lib.-fed on a stock diet. Further animals from litters of nine and sixteen were fed on the stock diet in restricted amounts until 12 weeks of age and then rehabilitated by being allowed ad lib. access to the stock diet.

2. Five animals from each group were killed at 24 weeks of age and the size and number of cells determined in four specific fat depots.

3. Animals reared in litters of sixteen and further undernourished from 3 to 12 weeks (group L16/U) had significantly fewer fat cells at all sites studied than animals reared in litters of three and ad lib.-fed. Group L16/U animals also had significantly fewer observable fat cells at the epididymal site than ad lib.-fed animals reared in litters of nine. These results differ from those found in the Black and White Hooded rat where, after similar treatments, no significant differences in observable fat cell number were found.

1. Well-nourished rats were injected with tritiated thymidine at 15, 22, 28 or 84 d of age. At 1, 6, 11 and 16 d after injection animals from each group were killed, samples of adipose tissue were removed from two subcutanecus sites (abdominal and scapular) and separated, using collagenase (EC 3.4.24.3), into ‘fat cell’ and ‘stromal cell’ fractions. The specific (radio)activity of DNA isolated from each fraction was measured. The specific activity of DNA isolated from two ‘deep body’ sites (perirenal and epididymal) was measured only in the animals injected at 84 d of age.

2. Animals undernourished from birth up to 84 d of age were injected with tritiated thymidine at 22, 28 or 84 d of age. Animals were killed 1 and 11 d after injection, adipose tissue removed, and the specific activity of DNA measured. Other undernourished animals were rehabilitated from 84 to 107 d and injected at 91 d of age with tritiated thymidine. The animals were killed 1, 6, 11 and 16 d after injection, adipose tissue was removed from the subcutaneous and deep body sites and the specific activity of DNA determined as before.

3. In well-nourished animals fat cell replication had largely ceased by 12 weeks of age in the subcutaneous depots. There were differences between the various sites of adipose tissue regarding the period of hyperplastic growth, its timing or rate of replication or both.

4. In undernourished animals replication was slow in the subcutaneous depots compared with well-nourished animals of the same age. Rehabilitation from undernutrition stimulated replication which resulted in higher rates in all four depots examined compared with those in well-nourished animals.

5. The findings are discussed in relation to the concept of a finite period of hyperplasia for adipose tissue.

1. Iron-deficiency anaemia continues to be a major public health problem in all developing countries. Fortification of commonly consumed food items has been suggested as an effective method of preventing anaemia. Common salt (sodium chloride) has been identified as a suitable vehicle to be fortified with Fe in India.

2. Common salt was fortified with ferric orthophosphate (3500 mg/kg) and sodium hydrogen sulphate (5000 mg/kg) to provide an additional 1 mg elemental Fe/g common salt consumed.

3. After ascertaining the acceptability of the fortified salt with respect to its colour, taste and bioavailability a pilot feeding trial was conducted among residential schoolchildren in Hyderabad. Feeding of the fortified salt for a period of 1 year resulted in a significant increase in the haemoglobin level of these children. There was also a significant reduction in the prevalence of anaemia among children given the fortified salt.

4. Before the same fortified salt is recommended as a public health measure to prevent Fe-deficiency anaemia among our population it is necessary that further large-scale community trials with this fortified salt are carried out particularly among the rural population.

1. The total food and drink available for human consumption in the United Kingdom would provide approximately 13 MJ (3100 kcal)/person per d, while the energy intake recommended for the population is approximately 9.6 MJ (2300 kcal)/person per d. A proportion of this substantial difference must be due to wastage in the home as well as in catering establishments and during the storage, distribution and processing of food.

2. As part of a general investigation of this problem, a representative sample of 1000 British households was asked to collect all the potentially-edible food wasted in their homes during 1 week, and to keep a record of the food, other than commercial pet food, which they gave to pets and wild birds. A total of 672 households co-operated fully, 338 in summer and 334 in winter. Each food sample received was weighed, and its energy content was determined calorimetrically.

3. Significantly more waste food was collected in summer than in winter, equivalent to 9.3 MJ (2220 kcal)/household per week and 7.1 MJ (1700 kcal)/household per week respectively. In terms of energy, cereals, fat and meat wastage predominated, while in terms of weight, milk was more important and fat less so.

4. Considerable quantities of otherwise edible food were also given to pets and birds, accounting on average for a further 2.4 MJ (570 kcal) and 3.0 MJ (710 kcal)/household per week in summer and winter respectively. The energy content of all food wasted in the home therefore averaged 11.7 MJ (2790 kcal)/household per week in summer and 10.1 MJ (2410 kcal)/household per week in winter, equivalent to 0.6 MJ (150 kcal) and 0.5 MJ (130 kcal)/person per d respectively. This is less than one-quarter of the gap between food supplies and the amount of food thought to be eaten in the UK.

5. Food wastage was significantly influenced by the composition of the family, with adults wasting more in absolute terms than children, and larger households wasting less per person than smaller households. However, with few exceptions, neither income nor geographical region significantly affected the total amount of food wasted in the home.

6. When assessed against the expected usage of food in the home, wastage accounted on average for 6.5% of the energy intake in summer and 5.4% in winter.

1.Fifteen female farmers (aged 18–47 years) from two villages of the Mossi Plateau in Upper-Volta participated in a survey in which their daily activity pattern and their energy expenditure were assessed. Eight of the subjects were investigated twice, in March (dry season) when there is no agricultural activity, and in July–August (rainy season) when heavy physical work is performed: mostly hoeing, weeding and replanting sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) and millet (Pennisetum typhoïdes).

2. The mean height was 1.57 m and the mean weight 50.6 kg. The average percentage of body fat, calculated from skinfold thickness, was comparable to that of European females but the triceps skinfold was more than 60% below the standard value (Jelliffe, 1969). The type of activities and the period of time spent on each activity changed significantly with the season. The mean energy output rose from 9.7 MJ (2320 kcal) in March to 12.1 MJ (2890 kcal) in July–August for a 55 kg standard weight.

3. In this paper, the extent of both the dally activity pattern of women living in a subsistence agriculture and their energy output is estimated. The results suggest that during the rainy season, the energy requirements of female farmers are much higher than usually estimated.

1. Lee Index (weight (g0.33)÷ nasoanal length (mm)), density, body water and proportional weight of the gonadal fat pad were tested as estimates of body fat in a normal population of mice and a population which included obese mice.

2. In a normal population only body water and fat-pad weight correlated significantly with body fat.

3. In a population of normal and obese mice all four indices correlated significantly with body fat.

4. Lee Index had little advantage over weight: length as an estimate of body fat, and density did not correlate well enough to be used as a method of estimation.

5. Proportional weight of the gonadal fat pad is recommended as a simple reliable estimate of body fat in normal or obese mice.

1. Heat loss from three men and three women was measured in a direct calorimeter over 2 or 3 h periods and compared with that determined simultaneously from heat-flow meters attached to the skin surface at the waist. The comparisons were made at each of four ambient temperatures, 15, 20, 25 and 30°. Each subject wore a cotton boiler-suit and minimal underwear.

2. Oral temperatures and skin and clothing temperatures on both trunk and forearm were determined, thus enabling the subjects' internal and external insulation to be calculated.

3. Heat loss determined by the meters was lower than that determined by the calorimeter. The difference increased with increase in ambient temperature. ‘Meter’ heat loss decreased linearly as ambient temperature was raised.

4. It was concluded that heat-flow meters could provide a useful estimate of total heat loss when the evaporative component is low. The estimate might be improved if the subject is calibrated while wearing the meters in a calorimeter over several short periods. Heat-flow meters could therefore be of particular value in sedentary individuals, when the heart-rate method for estimating energy expenditure can be inappropriate.

1. Pregnant guinea-pigs receiving a low dose of L-ascorbic acid (0.2 mg/100 g body-weight per d) developed a hypercholesterolaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy, whereas no change in serum cholesterol levels was observed in pregnant animals receiving a higher dose of the vitamin (2 mg/100 g body-weight per d).

2. Pregnancy in the group of guinea-pigs receiving the higher dose of L-ascorbic acid was associated with an increased biliary secretion of bile acids. No change was observed in the biliary secretion of bile acids in pregnant animals receiving the lower dose of L-ascorbic acid, but these animals secreted significantly more cholesterol.

3. Changes in the biliary secretion of cholesterol and bile acids in the pregnant guinea-pig according to L-ascorbic acid intake were reflected in the composition of the gall-bladder bile. Thus, the gall-bladder bile of guinea-pigs receiving the lower dose of L-ascorbic acid contained more cholesterol, while the gall-bladder bile of those animals receiving the higher dose of the vitamin had a higher content of bile acids.

4. The increased cholesterol content of the gall-bladder of pregnant guinea-pigs receiving the lower dose of L-ascorbic acid resulted in decreased bile acid:cholesterol and phospholipid: cholesterol values, conditions predisposing to cholelithiasis.

1. Forty-eight male rats were fed sequentially for 14 d periods on diets containing different fibre contents.

2. One of the high-fibre diets was a commercial pelleted diet. The other was a low-fibre diet supplemented with 200 g wheat bran/kg.

3. At the end of each feeding period eight rats were killed. Liver microsomal cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.1.-) activity and bile acid content of small intestine and colon were determined.

4. The different diets did not significantly alter the total intestinal bile acids, but affected the distribution and qualitative pattern in the colon and small intestine.

5. On the high-fibre diets deoxycholate, and hyodeoxycholate tended to be increased.

6. On the low-fibre diets the α-, β- and ω-muricholic acids tended to be increased.

7. Liver microsomal cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase activity was lower in rats fed on the low-fibre and bran- supplemented low-fibre diets compared with that in rats fed on the commercial pelleted diet.

1. Dietary tryptophan was found to regulate the activities of tryptophan oxygenase (EC I. 13.I. 12)and quinolinate phosphoribosyltransferase (EC z.4. 2a) in liver.

2. With increasing tryptophan concentration in the diet containing 100 g protein/kg, tryptophan oxygenase activity increased while that of quinolinate phosphoribosyltransferase decreased. The response of these enzymes to dietary tryptophan at lower dietary protein level (25 g/kg) was not significant.

3. Liver nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2. 11)activity and kidney picolinate carboxylase (EC 4. I.I. 45) activity were unaltered with different tryptophan concentrations in the diet.

4. The response of various biochemical measurements was dependent on the tryptophan intake and the changes were marked below and above the requirement level of tryptophan.

5. It is suggested that the urinary excretion of quinolinic acid and N'-methylnicotinamide may be useful in assessing the tryptophan nutritional status and its requirement.

1. Evaluation of the germ meal (CGM) of carob seed (Ceratonia siliqua) and its protein isolate was carried out with weanling rats. Comparisons were made with casein, soya-bean meal, whole defatted egg and a soya-bean protein isolate (Promine-D) as protein sources. The growth-promoting effects and certain biological indices were evaluated using the protein efficiency ratio (PER), biological value (BV) and net protein utilization (NPU) bioassay procedures.

2. The unsupplemented CGM had a PER of 1.66 ± 0.09 and an NPU of 0.58 ± 0.013. Addition of DL-methionine at 4, 8 and 12 g/kg diet resulted in a PER of 1.95 ± 0.11, 2.01 ± 0.11 and 1.90 ± 0.11 respectively. The corresponding BV values were 0.80 ± 0.003, 0.78 ± 0.015 and 0.74 ± 0.011, and those for NPU 0.69 ± 0.013, 0.66 ± 0.026 and 0.63 ± 0.020 respectively. The addition of amino acids improved the PER (2.24–2.59), BV (0.78–0.79) and NPU (0.71–0.73) values.

3. The BV and NPU assays for the unsupplemented carob germ isolate were low (BV 0.36 ± 0.016, NPU 0.35 ± 0.015). Supplementation with amino acids resulted in a positive increase with values of 0.66 ± 0.013 and 0.64 ± 0.013 for BV and NPU respectively.

1. The rates of entry of urea into plasma, of urea degradation in the gastrointestinal tract, and the partition of that degradation between the rumen and post-ruminal tract were determined by use of [14C]urea and NaH14CO3 in Hereford steers receiving hay diets with or without sucrose. The concentrations of plasma urea and rumen ammonia were varied by infusions of urea into the rumen or abomasum.

2. For all diets, plasma urea concentration was related to urea entry rate, to degradation of urea in the whole gastrointestinal tract, and to its degradation in the post-ruminal tract, but the relationship with its degradation in the rumen was poor.

3. Degradation of urea in the rumen was related in a multiple regression in a curvilinear manner in three groups of diets (pasture-hay alone, pasture-hay–lucerne (Medicago sativa) mixtures, diets with sucrose), and negatively to rumen ammonia concentration for pasture-hay diets, and diets with sucrose.

4. Ruminal clearance of urea (rate of urea degradation per plasma urea concentration) was negatively related to the rumen ammonia concentration for steers given diets with sucrose, of pasture-hay with or without urea infusions. Provision of sucrose in the diet significantly increased clearance.

5. Enhanced urea degradation in the rumen associated with dietary sucrose supplements accounted for 0.4 of additional microbial N synthesis in the rumen.

6. The partition of transfer of urea to the rumen via saliva and through the rumen wall is discussed.

1. The levels of the brush-border enzymes sucrase (sucrose glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.48), isomaltase (oligo-1,6-glucosidase, EC 3.2.1.10), maltases 2 and 3 (glucoamylase, EC 3.2.1.3), lactase (β-galactosidase, EC 3.2.1.23) and trehalase (EC 3.2.1.28) and adsorbed pancreatic α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) have been measured at twenty-one positions along the small intestines of eighty-four pigs of different ages ranging from 3 weeks to 4.5 years. The state of dilation of the intestine at the sampling points was noted.

2. The levels of sucrase and isomaltase increased with age throughout the age-range studied. Trehalase and the glucoamylases increased with age up to 200–300 d of age. Lactase decreased with age over the whole age range.

3. For the pigs above 10 weeks of age, the distribution pattern of the brush-border enzymes along the intestine did not change with age. Each enzyme had a characteristic distribution curve, with low values at the proximal and distal ends and a peak which was proximal in the instance of lactase and trehalase and approximately mid-way along the gut with sucrase, isomaltase and the glucoamylases.

4. The pattern of distribution of the brush-border enzymes altered with age in the piglets, but approached the adult pattern by 8 weeks.

5. Piglets weaned at 3 weeks had higher levels of sucrase, isomaltase and glucoamylases at 5 weeks than piglets left on the sow. At 8 weeks of age the piglets weaned at 3 weeks still had higher sucrase and isomaltase levels than those on the sow.

6. There was a very close correlation between the sucrase and isomaltase levels, and between the maltase 2 and maltase 3 levels in all the samples, and a fairly close correlation between all these four enzymes.

7. The level of α-amylase increased with age but showed no regular distribution pattern, its irregular fluctuations being related to the presence or absence of dilation of the intestine at the time of slaughter rather than to the position along the intestine.

1. Large intestine electromyograms were recorded from four pigs receiving successively three diets containing different amounts of fibre (standard cereal diet, milk substitute and milk plus 170 g bran/kg). For each diet the mean retention time of a marker added to one meal was determined. Three occurrences of spontaneous constipation were also studied.

2. Slow waves were observed in the colon only during 10% of the recording time at a frequency of 10.3 ± 1.1/min. Two kinds of spiking activity were recorded on the colon: short spike bursts of 0.5–2 s duration and long spike bursts of approximately 7 s duration. Long spike bursts alone were recorded on the caecum.

3. The mean retention time of the marker was 40 h on the standard diet, 120 h on the milk-substitute diet, and 66 h on the milk plus bran diet.

4. On the standard diet, approximately 1500 colonic long spike bursts were recorded daily and short spike bursts occupied 15% of the recording time. On the milk diet, the number of long spike bursts decreased significantly (P < 0.01) to 500/d and the short spike bursts increased significantly (P < 0.05) to take up to 21% of the time. Intermediate values (1100/d and 19%) were observed when bran was added to the milk diet. The lowest values for long spike bursts (300/d) and highest values for short spike bursts (44% of the time) were observed in constipation.

5. It is concluded that long spike bursts are associated with propulsion of intestinal contents and that short spike bursts are non-propulsive.

1. [U-14C]glucose was infused intravenously into conscious lactating goats exposed to thermoneutral or cold environments for a total of 24 h. The irreversible loss of glucose from the whole body and uptake of glucose by the mammary gland was measured and glucose utilization in the udder was studied by measuring the incorporation of radioactivity into carbon dioxide in mammary venous blood, into milk lactose and milk triglyceride-glycerol.

2. Exposure to cold increased the circulating level of glucose and slightly, though not significantly, increased the non-mammary irreversible loss of glucose.

3. The extraction of glucose from the circulation by the udder fell, the secretion of lactose by the udder also fell and this correlated closely with the reduced secretion of milk in the cold.

4. Simultaneous measurements of the concentrations of insulin, growth hormone and corticosteroids in the arterial plasma were made.

5. The plasma concentration of corticosteroids increased significantly in the cold.

6. It is concluded that reduced glucose uptake and lactose synthesis by the udder are important factors which reduce milk secretion during cold exposure.

1. Refection, resulting in an increased supply of riboflavin to riboflavin-deficient rats through coprophagy, was demonstrated on a sucrose-based diet when sensitive biochemical tests of riboflavin status were employed: these included measurements of NAD(P)H2:glutathione oxidoreductase (EC 1.6.4.2); succinate:(acceptor) oxidoreductase (EC 1.3.99.1) and NADH:(acceptor) oxidoreductase (EC 1.6.99.3).

2. The use of tail-cups to eliminate coprophagy, and hence refection, resulted in a more rapid and reproducible progress into severe deficiency.

3. The occurrence of refection on a sucrose-based diet may account for hitherto unexplained differences between previous publications on the biochemical effects of riboflavin deficiency.

1. Circulating concentrations of some hormones and metabolites and nitrogen balance were measured in lactating beef and dairy cows given daily injections of growth hormone (GH) and were compared to values before injection. Changes in milk yield and composition were recorded in these cows and in additional cows injected with GH fragments.

2. GH, but not GH fragments, raised milk yield while milk composition did not change. GH injection caused a large, rapid increase in the level of the hormone in blood and slower, smaller increases in the concentrations of insulin, prolactin and thyroxine. Blood metabolite levels were unaltered except for a rise in glucose concentration in beef cows during GH injection and a fall in 3-hydroxybutyrate concentration in the same cows after the injections ceased. An increase in N output in milk was partly balanced by a reduction in urinary N so that N retention did not change significantly.

3. GH caused a reduction in food intake in the beef cows.

4. The results are discussed in relation to control of partition of nutrients in the lactating cow, where GH is considered to play an important role. It was concluded that this role may be in increasing the supply of energy metabolites for milk synthesis, rather than a direct effect on the activity of the mammary gland.