The role of taste preference in the eating behavior of the albino rat

Abstract

The effects of adding flavoring substances to a standard wet mash diet were tested on twelve male albino rats. The diets, presented singly for ten days each, were 0.15 per cent saccharin sodium, H 2O alone, 0.0375 per cent, 0.075 per cent and 0.12 per cent quinine sulfate. Animals showed intake differences related to diet palatability. Although these differences decrease progressively for the first 8 days there is some evidence that asymptotic steady-state intake would be different for the different diets. Even in the case of achievement of iso-caloric intake across diets, the animal does not ignore taste. This is demonstrated by significant changes in meal-taking which are not attributable solely to total intake differences and, in fact, are greatest at the time that total intake differences are smallest. Specifically, meal size and intermeal-interval size increase as the diet is made less palatable. This change may be necessary for the achievement of stable iso-caloric intake across the diets used in the present experiment. Some implications for finicky animals are discussed.