TestDiet® will modify the vitamin composition of any of the standard LabDiet® products as desired. Modified products can be manufactured in three ways:
1. by omitting the addition of the specific vitamin;
2. by reformulating the product to eliminate those ingredients which contribute to the vitamin content of the diet; or,
3. by adding additional amounts of the vitamin as a "direct add" to the "off-the shelf" LabDiet® product. (See Modified LabDiet® Grain-Based Diets.)
Some vitamins, like folic acid, may be synthesized by the intestinal microflora. The investigator should be aware of this potential and, if necessary, seek methods to prevent such extra-dietary source of the vitamin. For example, for folic acid deficient diets, we can add succinylsulfathiozole to inhibit folic acid synthesis.
Often there is a substantial storage of the fat-soluble vitamins in the liver and fatty tissues. Deficiency states are much more readily produced if the test animals are obtained from parent stock that has received marginal levels of the vitamins in question.
Researchers interested in vitamin D should exercise care that ultraviolet light is not used in the room where the animals are being maintained. Many fluorescent lights do emit some ultraviolet wavelengths of light.
Typical examples of vitamin modifications are vitamin C modified diets for guinea pigs. Vitamin C Deficient Guinea Pig TestDiet® 5710-6 (57HV) is formulated without ground wheat, ground corn, alfalfa, animal fat, molasses, and vitamin C. These items are replaced by non-nutritive fiber, casein, soybean oil, and dextrin. The resulting level of vitamin C is below detectable levels. Because the alfalfa has been removed, this diet has lower palatability than the standard Guinea Pig LabDiet® 5025. Therefore, we also manufacture a Modified Guinea Pig TestDiet® 5711-17, without added vitamin C. This diet contains 30-40 mg/kg of naturally-occurring vitamin C, but maintains essentially the same formulation, and palatability, as Guinea Pig LabDiet® 5025.
Similar modifications can be done with any vitamin in any LabDiet® product. We can modify the vitamin composition of a diet for any species of laboratory animal.
Examples of Vitamin Modifications to LabDiet® Formulas –
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TestDiet® # |
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Modified Guinea Pig LabDiet® 5025 |
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Vitamin C Deficient Guinea Pig Diet |
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No Added Vitamin C Guinea Pig Diet |
See also:
Vitamin Modifications to Purified Diets (Sodium)