Table 2.

Growth variables, faecal and urine nitrogen content in rats fed a diet containing casein, ESM-protein or ESM-hydrolysate

	Casein	ESM-protein	ESM-hydrolysate
Initial body weight (g)	277 ± 3	277 ± 3	277 ± 3
Final body weight (g)	305 ± 2a	286 ± 6b	296 ± 2ab
Body weight gain (g/day)	2.76 ± 0.22a	0.868 ± 0.468b	1.87 ± 2.4ab
Food consumption (g/day)	19.9 ± 0.0	20.0 ± 0.4	20.1 ± 0.7
Food efficiency*	0.136 ± 0.011a	0.0421 ± 0.0236b	0.0982 ± 0.0177ab
Faecal weight (dry g/5 days)	8.57 ± 0.08	9.90 ± 0.73	9.09 ± 0.40
Urine volume (mL/5 days)	62.8 ± 13.0a	26.3 ± 8.4b	61.1 ± 3.5a
Faecal nitrogen (mg/5 days)	40.8 ± 0.9a	226 ± 17b	101 ± 5c
Urine nitrogen (mg/5 days)	397 ± 12a	65.0 ± 10.6b	187 ± 12c

Mean ± standard error (SE) of six rats. Superscript letters indicate a significant difference (Tukey’s test, p < 0.05)

ESM egg shell membrane

* Food efficiency: body weight gain (g/day)/food consumption (g/day)