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BIOCLAIMS standard diet (BIOsd): a reference diet for nutritional physiology
Femke P M Hoevenaars1, Evert M van Schothorst, Olga Horakova
1Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Genes & Nutrition
|January 10, 2012
Summary
A new standard reference diet, the BIOCLAIMS standard diet, is proposed to enhance scientific reproducibility. This AIN-93 based diet minimizes variability in rodent studies, particularly for nutritional research.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional science
- Animal models
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Experimental replication is crucial for scientific validity.
- Diet significantly impacts rodent model outcomes, especially in nutritional studies.
- Variability in diet complicates inter-laboratory comparisons.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a standardized reference diet for rodent research.
- To improve inter-laboratory comparability in studies involving bioactive food components.
- To facilitate natural (non-expensive) labeling in experimental diets.
Main Methods:
- Development of the BIOCLAIMS standard diet, based on the AIN-93 formulation.
- Inclusion of specific dietary and experimental requirements for bioactive component studies.
- Implementation by the Mitofood and BIOCLAIMS European research consortia.
Main Results:
- The BIOCLAIMS standard diet provides a defined nutritional framework.
- The diet is adaptable for experiments with bioactive compounds and natural labeling.
- Standardization aims to reduce experimental variability across laboratories.
Conclusions:
- The BIOCLAIMS standard diet offers a solution for enhancing reproducibility in rodent research.
- Standardized diets are essential for reliable nutritional and bioactive component studies.
- Inter-laboratory implementation by consortia will validate its utility.
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