Effects of Dietary Carbohydrate on Sodium Cyclamate Toxicity in Rats Fed a Purified,Low-Fiber Diet

Summary

Immature male rats were fed a purified, low-fiber diet containing 5% sodium cyclamate but varying as to the source of dietary carbohydrate. On diets containing sucrose or dextrose as the dietary carbohydrate, animals exhibited a highly significant retardation in weight gain, lack of grooming, varying degrees of alopecia, extensive diarrhea, and high mortality within an experimental period of 14 days. With the exception of growth retardation during the first week of feeding, these effects except for a slight diarrhea were completely counteracted when the diet contained cornstarch as the source of dietary carbohydrate, and animals appeared grossly normal in all respects and comparable to those fed a purified, low-fiber, cyclamate-free diet. Intermediate results were obtained in rats fed sodium cyclamate in conjunction with a diet containing dextrin as the source of dietary carbohydrate.