Nutritional Implications of the Hamster Forestomach

Abstract

The contribution of the forestomach to the overall nutrition of the golden hamster was evaluated. A surgical procedure for removal of the forestomach of the weanling hamster was developed and experiments were conducted to ascertain its effects on growth and digestibility of feed. Forty-seven male, weanling, golden hamsters fed a cereal based closed formula diet were allotted to a control or surgical group and fed for 14 weeks. There was no significant difference in growth. A digestion trial was conducted on similarly-treated mature hamsters fed the same diet. Apparent digestibilities of protein, energy and neutral detergent fiber were not different between groups. The metabolizable energy values of the feed (corrected for N balance) as determined by the control and surgery groups were 3.61, and 3.59, respectively. A second digestion trial was conducted on surgical and control mature male hamsters fed a nonpurified alfalfa based diet. The apparent digestibilities of protein, energy and neutral detergent fiber were similar between the groups. A meal of dyed, unrefined diet was offered to fasted hamsters to determine the route of passage of solid feed into the stomach. Visual inspection of 13 stomachs at intervals up to 10 minutes postprandially showed the feed to be (a) exclusively in the stomach, 5; (b) exclusively in the glandular stomach, 0; (c) predominantly in the forestomach, 8; (d) predominantly in the glandular stomach, 0. Freshly swallowed feed thus appears to enter the forestomach first, but within minutes it is present in the glandular stomach. The forestomach does not appear to be of critical nutritional significance for the hamster fed nutritionally adequate diets, based either on cereals or alfalfa.