Enhanced choice of familiar food in a food preference test after chlordiazepoxide administration

Chlordiazepoxide (5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg) increased the time spent eating familiar laboratory chow, in a food-choice test in which both familiar and novel food objects were available. Chlordiazepoxide did not affect the feeding response to the novel food. Prior handling of the rats and repeat testing affected feeding responses in the test, although in ways which were different from and independent of the effect of chlordiazepoxide. Chlordiazepoxide may facilitate feeding responses by a direct enhancement of feeding motivation, and not necessarily secondarily by either a release of suppression of feeding or as attenuation of anxiety evoked by unfamiliarity.