PROJECT REPORT 
COMMITTEE OR FOOD RESEARCH 
QUARTERMASTER FOOD AND CONTAINER INSTITUTE 
FOR THE ARMED FORCES 
CHICAGO ILLIKOI 8 
IUIAICI AND DKVELOFMHT BRANCH 
MILITARY PLANNING DIVISION 
OFFICE OF THE 
QUARTERNASTCR GENERAL 
cobp ERXt(jN6 INSTITUTION 
University of Wisconsin 
LOCAL I TV 
Madison, Wisconsin 
01VI 51 ON 11 1 1 11 ! 
College of Agriculture 
DEPARTMENT 
. Department of Biochemistry 
OfPVCI AL INVESTI SATQR 
Go A, Elvehjem 
collaiorators 
Eugene Mo Spor# 
REPORT NO. 
5 
PILE NO.' 
N-911 
contract1 no. 
7llCT009yqm-r . 9 
YoR PERipb COVERING 
1 September 1947 - 31 October 1947 
initiation date 
1 January 1947 
TITLE* [X J PROGRESS REPORT [ j PHASE REPORT [ J ANNUAL REPONT [ ]t£RNINATION REPORT 
0 
Nutritive Value of Army Rations. 
SUMMARY 
Studies have been conducted on monkeys fed X rations to dphermir. \w 
effect when individual supplements of ©ight of the ten orywta ' in--- f • ' arc: ■ 
are administerede It has been noted that each of the folio vi kg * 
produced a weight response when fed .to monkeys-losing weight on tne 
thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxin©, choline, folic acid ? nd not.*; 
folic acid were inactive in eliciting this, growth response u.:1 ; • 
was present as a supplement tc the diet-., Oral / folic acid ni p.yv, * 
an effect on the, hemoglobin concentration, in audition to growt; 
From these results, it appears that K ration toes not contain iv.t- . 
pyridoxin© and folio acid for the grow’ng monkey-. In one cas-v ••ho r- t 
of all supplementary vitamins from a monkey- on K ration caused dot. h 
tvo weeks„ 
Monkeys have been continued on the ; . ration pi in v 
various supplements are being fbd to note their effect upon tre , 
the animalSe Preliminary results indicate a growth response vr lei ■ o 
casein,' This is being checked with other animalsRecently 
started on preparations of the monkey antiamenia factor to <*.$'. ARMY 
effect® It is possible that a deficiency of this factor nhy c»ty 
low hemoglobin content of the blood noted even when vitamins a 
duce normal, growth in monkeys fed rations SCP 2 3 1950'. 
The S ration cannot support growth of monkeys when fecKj n U..|s3( < AtR Y 
mented forma The addition of s mixture of the. water-soluble 
proved the ration so that normal growth was obtained for a short penoa 
In one case, the addition of 10$ casein was sufficient to cont ■ ! .■ 
mal growth rate« This work is.being repeated with other animals 
Work has been continued on the effect of supplements 1:■ on oi: K ■" oion 
fed to rats. With K ration containing a double evel of 3 vlto -i uj •. 
basal, individual amino acids were fed at 0o?% of the iieta The aa.u 
continued 
12-121 of phenylalanine had no effect upon growths lysine had an inhibitory 
effect*, the rats averaged 5 gms0 a week less than the basal3 methio- 
nine caused an increased growth of 4 gpis0 a week per rat above the 
basal group0 When all three amino acids were added to the diet* 
again no effect upon growth was observed0 The effects of lysine and 
methionine seem to counteract each other when fed simultaneouslyo 
With the information gained from work with K ration, the C and 
10=in-l rations were fed in a similar mannerc The following results 
were obtained % 
s AvOo gain/week at end of 
4th week (gnu ) 
(1) C ration alone 21 
(2) ” ” plus vitamins A and D 21 
(3) ” ’* ” " n M plus B vitamins 24 
"j ft ft n » t» tt »» ft M It 
plus casein 33 
(5) 10“in~i ration alone 18 
(6) " " plus vitamins A and D 18„5 
ft ft ft ft ft tl ft 
plus B vitamins 22 
(8) 10“= in-1 ration plus vitamins A and D 
plus B vitamins plus 5% casein 27 
• Normal growth of rats w«* obtained when C ration was supplemented 
with vitamins and oasein0 With the same supplements, 10»in-l ration was 
improved so that rats grew at a ±air but still at a suboptimum rate„ 
Vitamins A and D had no effect upon the growth rate0 
Experiments have been started with rats to note the effect of the 
coffee in the K ration. The animals are being fed the ration with and 
without coffee,, and the results will be reported shortly <, In addition, 
studies have been undertaken with young dogse They are being fed the 
E and 10-in-l ration to note their effect upon hemoglobin and 
general appearance0 It is felt that a comparison of monkey, rat and 
dog results will give us a clearer understanding of the nutritional 
adequacy of the rations0 
N-911 #5