TABLE 4-1 Estimated Nutrient Requirements

for Growth for Guinea Pigs

Nutrient

Unit Amount,
per kg
diet
g
180.0a

Comments

1.334.0

150.0

10 g corn oil/kg diet is

satisfactory
Used cellulose and/or materials Heinicke and Elvehjem,
of low digestibility to supply
1955
bulk

g
g

12.0
3.6

Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine
Dispensable
nitrogen
Minerals
Calcium

g
g
g
g
g
g
g
g
g

6.0
10.8
8.4
6.0c
10.8d
6.0
1.8
8.4
16.9e

8.0

Phosphorus
Magnesium
Potassium
Chloride

g
g
g
g

4.0
1.0
5.0
0.5

Sodium
Copperf

g
0.5
mg 6.0

Iron
Manganese
Zinc

mg 50.0
mg 40.0
mg 20.0

Estimate

Iodineg
Molybdenum
Selenium
Vitamins
A (retinol)h or
(-carotene)

g
g
g

Based on rat requirement

Based on rat requirement
Based on rat requirement diets

mg 6.6
mg 28.0

Used 40% as efficiently as

preformed vitamin A

D (cholecalciferol)i
E (RRR-tocopherol)j
K (phylloquinone)

mg 0.025
mg 26.7

Adequate; no quantitative data

Adequate
Hsieh and Navia, 1980

mg 5.0

Adequate; dietary deficiency

has not been produced

Ascorbic acid
Biotin (d-biotin)

mg 200.0
mg 0.2

Choline (choline
bitartrate)
Folic acid

mg 1,800

Reid, 1955

mg 3.0-6.0

Mannering, 1949; Reid,

1954a; Reid et al.,

Protein
(28.6 g N 6.25)
Essential fatty
acids (n-6)
Fiber
Amino acidsb
Arginine
Histidine

150.0
150.0
150.0

Reference
Shelton, 1971; Lister
and McCance, 1965;
Typpo et al., 1990a,b
Reid et al., 1964

Yoon, 1977
Anderson and Typpo,
1977
Ayers et al., 1987
Mueller, 1978
Typpo et al., 1985
Typpo et al., 1990b
Chueh, 1973
Horstkoetter, 1974
Smith, 1979
Typpo et al., 1990b
Typpo et al., 1990b
Requirements for calcium,
phosphorus, magnesium and
potassium seem to reflect
interactions among them

Morris and O'Dell,

1961, 1963; O'Dell et
al., 1956, 1960

From the estimate for rats fed

purified diet
Everson et al., 1967,
1968
Everson et al., 1959
Alberts et al., 1977;
Navia and Lopez, 1973

Gil et al., 1968.

Bentley and Morgan,
1945

Mannering, 1949
Adequate; simple dietary
deficiency has not been
produced

1956; Woodruff et al.,

1953
Reid, 1961
Reid and Briggs, 1954

Niacin
mg 10.0
Pantothenic acid
mg 20.0
(Ca-dpantothenate)
Pyridoxine
mg 2.0-3.0
Reid, 1964
Riboflavin
mg 3.0
Estimated
Slanetz, 1943
Thiamin (thiamin- mg 2.0
Liu et al., 1967; Reid
HCl)
and Bieri, 1967
NOTE: Nutrient requirements are expressed on an as-fed basis for diets containing 10%
moisture; 2.83.5 kcal ME/g (11.714.6 kJ ME/g) and should be adjusted for diets of differing
moisture and energy concentrations. Unless otherwise specified, the listed nutrient
concentrations represent minimal requirements and do not include a margin of safety.
Higher concentrations for many nutrients may be warranted in natural-ingredient diets.
a
See text. Growth is equivalent with 300 g casein plus 3 g L-arginine per kg or 200 g
soybean protein plus 10 g DL-methionine per kg.
b
The quantities reflect a 20% adjustment for efficiency of utilization for maximum growth.
See text for discussion.
c
Cystine may replace 40%.
d
Tyrosine may replace 50%.
e
Mixture of L-alanine, L-asparagineH2O, L-aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid, sodium glutamate,
glycine, L-proline and L-serine. See text and Typpo et al. (1990b).
f
Minerals measured in mg/kg correspond to ppm.
g
Iodine, molybdenum, and selenium are measured in g/kg, corresponding to ppb.
h
Equivalent to 21,960 IU/kg. -Carotene requirement measured is equivalent to 47,425
IU/kg.
i
Equivalent to 1,000 IU/kg.
j
Equivalent to 40 IU/kg. Higher concentrations may be required if high-fat diets are used.