Nutritive value of dried infant milk foods based on buffalo milk

Abstract

The nutritive value of dried infant milk foods based on buffalo milk and containing varying levels of protein (10-28%) and fat (8-26%) has been studied in experiments on albino rats. The mean weekly-growth-rate of rats receiving milk food I (26% protein and 26% fat) was significantly higher than those obtained with milk foods II (20% protein and 20% fat) and IV (15% protein and 26% fat). No significant differences were observed in the mean values for weekly growth, feed efficiency ratio, or the composition of livers and carcasses of rats fed on milk food I and milk food III (15% protein and 15% fat). Milk food VI (22% protein and 18% fat) promoted slightly lower growth than did milk foods I-IV. There were no significant differences, however, in the feed efficiency ratio and the composition of livers and carcasses of animals fed on milk foods I-IV and VI. Milk foods V (10% protein and 26% fat), VII (28% protein and 15% fat) and VIII (16% protein and 8% fat) promoted significantly lower growth and possessed significantly lower feed efficiency ratios than milk foods I-IV. The mean total serum protein albumin contents, ribonucleic acid content and xanthine-oxidase activity of the livers and the nitrogen and calcium contents of the carcasses of rats receiving milk food V were significantly lower than values obtained for rats fed on milk foods I-III and VI. The livers of rats fed on milk food V showed mild generalised fatty infiltration while the livers of animals fed on the other milk foods were quite normal. Milk food III containing 15% protein and 15% fat and possessing an overall nutritive value equal to that of whole milk powder, can be used with advantage for feeding infants in regions where milk is in short supply.