Abstract

The ability of rat pups to ingest independently in proper conditions allows for experiments on taste sensitivity. I tested to see if rat pups consume more of some concentrations of aspartame and sucralose as compared to others, and if the pups ingest more of the sweeteners than water. Litters of rat pups were deprived of food, water, and maternal care for 24 hours prior to testing. Two alternative approaches to testing the increased feeding of rat pups were used: the floor- feeding method, and the cannula-feeding method. I observed behavior, intake, and stomach content during feeding by these methods, and it was apparent that the 0.500 mM concentration of sucralose had a significant effect on intake in the floor-feeding litters. Significantly higher levels of 2 mM and 1 mM sucralose were observed in the stomachs of the 15-day- old pups that fed from the floor, and the cannula- feeding pups followed this same tendency. One can infer that either the small caloric value of Splenda slowed the gastric emptying, or a non-caloric mechanism (e.g., stimulation of a chemoreceptor) caused a feedback response inhibiting further feeding, or that these concentrations cause a direct effect on the brain that terminates feeding.