Vitamins in rat's nutrition

Vitamins B, A, D, E, K and C are very important for the health of rats.

Water soluble vitamins are B and C. Fat soluble vitamins are A, D, E, K

Vitamin A is necessary for the normal functioning of the visual organs, lacrimal, sweat and sebaceous glands. The substance increases the rat's immunity to resist various infections, normalizes metabolism, and promotes proper development of the body and growth.

Vitamin A (retinol) deficiency entails: slowing down the growth of the animal; visual impairment; frequent colds; infertility.

Vitamin B3 (niacin) is responsible for the activity of the heart, nervous system, and resistance to infections.

If it is deficient, a rat can develop diabetes, colitis, and go bald. And with increased concentrations in the blood, liver pathologies are possible.

Vitamin D is able to regulate the exchange of phosphorus and calcium in the body. the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and liver.

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include abnormal bone mineralization, rickets in young animals and osteomalacia in adults.

Vitamin E is necessary for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A and D). It is also important for the nervous and reproductive systems, and the development of muscle tissue.

With vitamin deficiency, females experience infertility, lack of estrus, and males do not produce semen. There may be miscarriages and stillbirths.

Vitamin C is able to regulate carbohydrate metabolism, redox processes, blood clotting, it affects the production of thyroid hormones, the functioning of the pancreas and gonads.

4. The digestive system of rat

Characteristics of the rat digestive system

Rats have monogastric digestive system, so they have one simple stomach. The stomach secretes acid, resulting in a low pH1. The low pH destroys most bacteria and begins to break down the feed materials. Rats with this type of digestive system are better adapted to eat rations high in concentrates.

The digestive system of rat includes the alimentary canal (a tube that extends from the mouth to the anus), oral structures and accessory digestive glands. The major function of the digestive system is to provide nutrients to the body tissues. [9].

The oral cavity is responsible for the grasping, grinding, and moistening of food. The structures of the oral cavity include lips, cheeks, teeth, tongue, palate, and salivary glands. Also rats lack tonsils.

The esophagus is a muscular tube that moves food from the pharynx to the stomach. There are two muscle layers in the esophagus. These muscle layers, when they contract and relax, help in the movement of food by peristalsis.

The stomach is a muscular, hollow, part of the digestive system, which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract. In rats, the stomach is located between the esophagus and the small intestine. It secretes protein-digesting enzymes and gastric acid to aid in food digestion.

The small intestine is the longest part of the alimentary canal and the site of most enzymatic digestion and absorption of nutrients. The subdivisions include the duodenum, the jejunum and the ilium.

The caecum is a pouch marking the division between the small intestine and the large intestine. The cecum contains bacteria that break down plant material. In rats, the cecum big, exceeds the size of the stomach.

The large intestine includes the colon and the rectum. For mammals, the entire large intestine is an important instrument in the conservation of water. Another function of the large intestine is to consolidate the feces. The rectum temporarily stores the feces until it is released through the anus.

There are three accessory glands of the digestive system and they are the salivary glands, the pancreas and the liver.

The salivary glands in mammals are exocrine glands that produce saliva. They also secrete amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch into glucose.

The pancreas is a flat diffuse organ in rats, both an endocrine gland (producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin), as well as an exocrine gland, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that pass to the small intestine.

The liver plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the body, including glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells, plasma protein synthesis, and detoxification. It produces bile, which aids in digestion, via the emulsification of lipids.

Rats lack a gallbladder. [5]