MICROSTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE INGESTIVE BEHAVIOR OF THE RAT INGESTING POLYCOSE

A microstructural analysis of the ingestive behavior of rats ingesting seven concentrations of Polycose, was undertaken in an attempt to und erstand how this complex mix of mono-, di-, and polysaccharides contro ls their ingestive behavior. In every respect, the pattern of results resembled those obtained using mono- and disaccharides. Over a concent ration range of 0.6% to 40%, the volume ingested was a nonmonotonic fu nction of concentration, the duration of the meal was a Linear decreas ing function of concentration, the initial rate and the rate of declin e of the rate of licking were increasing linear functions of the log o f the concentration, cluster size was a linear increasing function of log concentration and the proportion of short intercluster intervals i ncreased linearly with the log of the concentration. These results sup port the view that the control that Polycose exerts on the ingestive b ehavior of the rat is very similar to that exerted by mono- and disacc harides. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Inc.