Abstract
Four successive generations of rats were fed irradiated (5.58 megarad) or nonirradiated diets compounded from 9 frozen-stored foods plus a nonirradiated vitamin supplement. A significantly decreased rate of growth of 4thgeneration females fed the irradiated diet was probably due to marginal nutritional inadequacy. Reproductive performance, life span, and incidence of disease were not significantiy affected by radiation processing of the food. Similarly, metabolizable energy value of the diets as well as percentage of availability of the macronutrients were not altered. Availability of carbohydrate was higher in adult animals than in the same animals as weanlings, regardless of diet treatment. Of 6 liver and blood enzymes assayed, only liver cytochrome oxidase activity was altered as a result of consumption of the irradiated diet. The results are explained on the basis of radioinduced destruction of the unsaturated fatty acids. However, a previously reported concomitant decline in hypotonic endogenous respiration was not observed. This, coupled with normal phosphatase activity, suggests that the altered cytochrome oxidase activity may not be related to essential fatty acid destruction. (H.H.D.)
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