Comparison of the Nutritional Status of Swiss Albino Mice Fed on Either a Purified or Cereal-Based Diet for 15weeks

Background. Laboratory animals are commonly fed on cereal-based diets (CBDs) whose nutrient composition is unknown and may confound the metabolic response to study interventions. Purified diets such as AIN-93M are therefore recommended, as their nutrient composition is known. However, few studies have evaluated their use as adequate control diets. The aim of this study was to compare the nutrition status of Swiss albino mice fed on either CBD or AIN-93M for 15weeks. Methods. Twenty Swiss albino mice aged 6-8weeks and weighing 21.7g±0.6 were fed on either CBD or AIN-93M diet for 15weeks. Their nutritional status was evaluated using anthropometric and hematological indices, serum glucose, total protein, albumin, and total cholesterol to select an appropriate normal control diet. Results. The CBD had low-calorie content (2.57kcal/g) and protein (11±3.8g/100g) compared to AIN-93M (3.8kcal/g and 14g/100g, respectively). The BMI of male mice fed on CBD and AIN-93M diets was significantly higher (P=0.0139 and P=0.0325, respectively) compared to that of females fed on similar diets. Animals in the CBD group had lower hemoglobin (15.1-16.9g/dl) compared to those in the AIN-93M group (18.1-20.8g/dl). Serum albumin levels were higher in both male (P=0.001) and female (P=3×10[sup.-6]) mice fed on AIN-93M compared to those fed on CBD. Females in the AIN-93M group had higher cholesterol (P=0.026) than those in the CBD group. Conclusion. The AIN-93 diet of caloric value 3.85kcal/g (total protein 14g, total fat 4g of soy bean oil, fibre 5g, and total carbohydrate 42g per 100g) can be safely used as a normal control diet in long-term research studies using Swiss albino mice.