[Effect of the frequency of distribution of a protein supplement combined with a protein-free or low-protein diet on rat development. Nutritional effectiveness, body composition, liver nucleic acid and protein content, free plasma amino acids].

Irregular quantity and quality of food consumption is a common nutritional pattern in Marocco. Periods of liberal food supply due to a good harvest and festivals alternate with periods of more or less severe food shortage, resulting in a poor response to a high quality proteic diet taken from time to time. The object of this work was to study the effect of an irregular feeding sequence on the efficiency of food and the growth of the organism. Experiments on rats cannot be directly transposed to man, but are suggestive of the adverse effects of such a treatment. Discontinuity of protein intake leads to a decrease of its value as a complement for a poor basic diet, and this is more marked with the poorer diets and the longer intervals of complementation. Protein and energy retention decrease with the frequency of distribution of the protein supplement. Liver DNA increases when the supplementation is given with longer intervals; on the contrary the liver RNA decreases. The ratio RNA/DNA and proteins/DNA decreases still more. Blood amino-acids content depends on the composition of the diet and on the hormonal status of the organism.