Abstract:
A basal diet, containing 0•06 per cent. calcium and 0•05 per cent. phosphorus,
and albino rats, 4 to 5 weeks old and weighing approximately 60 grams, were used
to ascertain the availability of electrofos I and electrofos II in comparison with
dicalcium phosphate for bone formation. These phosphatic products, prepared by
a thermal process, were studied at two levels giving diets containing 0•18 per cent.
phosphorus and 0•36 per cent. phosphorus, the Ca : P ratio being maintained at
about 2 : 1. Apart from live weight gains percentage retention of the relevant
minerals as determined by slaughter tests and femur ash were used as criteria for
evaluating the products.
The averages of the results obtained are summarized in Table 18.
It was found that both electrofos I and electrofos II were significantly less
available for bone formation than calcium phosphate. However, more or less equal
bone formation was obtained when these products were supplemented at about
twice the level of calcium phosphate.
