Effect of chlorogenic acid in a casein diet for rats. Nutritional and pathological observations

3-week-old male rats were fed on a casein diet containing 1% (w/w) of chlorogenic acid in order to find out if the ingestion of chlorogenic acid may be associated with a reduced utilization of dietary proteins or with causing other adverse effects. The protein efficiency ratio, biological value and digestibility of this diet did not differ from a corresponding casein diet free from chlorogenic acid. No change was observed in the nitrogen balance of the experimental rats. Neither did the rats show any change in hematological values or volumes and pH of the urine. Some deviation was noticed in the weights of kidneys and adrenals of the chlorogec acid-free casein diet. The findings that were made were normal in the microscopic examinations of various organs. Chlorogenic acid did not seem to influence the ultrastructure of the liver as revealed by electron microscopy.