Table 1.
Key nutritional components and dietary formulation of the AIN-93M diet.
| Nutrient | kcal (%) | Ingredients | g/kg | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14.7 | |||
| Casein | 140 | Casein provides >85% protein. While multiple protein sources exist, casein was selected as it provides an adequate amino acid composition and is readily available. The major limitation is that casein contains a low amount of cystine, therefore, L-cystine is added to the diet. Casein also contains significant amount of phosphorous. | ||
| L-Cystine | 1.8 | |||
| Carbohydrate | 75.9 | |||
| Cornstarch | 495.69 | Starch was selected as the carbohydrate source to replace the high amounts of sucrose in the AIN76 diet, which caused many off-target effects. A diet high in starch will not pellet properly, therefore, dextrinized starch (maltodextrin) is added. A small amount of sucrose is added to provide sweetness and improve palatability. | ||
| Maltodextrin | 125 | |||
| Sucrose | 100 | |||
| Fat | ||||
| 9.4 | Soybean Oil | 40 | Soybean oil provides the essential fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic acid. The amount for AIN93M diet was selected to provide an (n-6):(n-3) ratio of 7 and a polyunsaturated: saturate ratio of 4. An additional margin of safety was added for the AIN93G diet. | |
| Fiber | Cellulose | 50 | Cellulose is wood-fiber, and while fiber is not considered a ‘nutrient’ it provides beneficial regulation of the gut microflora populations. Of the various fiber sources, iron seems to be the largest mineral contaminant. | |
| Minerals | Mineral Mix* | 35 | Mineral mix contains essential minerals and ultra-trace elements such as calcium, potassium, phosphorous, sodium, chloride, sulfur, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, chromium, manganese, fluoride, nickel, iodine, molybdenum, and vanadium. Mineral mix also contains powered sucrose as a dispersal medium for vitamins. | |
| Choline bitartrate | 2.5 | |||
| Vitamins | Vitamin Mix* | 10 | This vitamin mix provides the known essential vitamins for laboratory rodents including, nicotinic acid, pantothenate, pyridoxine, thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin K1. Vitamin mix also contains powered sucrose as a dispersal medium for vitamins. These vitamins are especially sensitive to light degradation. | |
| Anti-oxidant | tert-Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) | 0.01 | Oxidation of highly polyunsaturated oils/fats are likely and therefore, TBHQ is added to effectively prevent from oxidation. Of note, when fats are altered in diets, it is likely that additional considerations should be taken including storage temperatures and frequency of food replacement. |