Potassium in Animal Nutrition

Novel diet preferences in potassium-deficient rats.

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Potassium depletion produces a preference for novel diets similar to that seen with vitamin and other deficiencies, which is not overcome by the presence or absence of KC1 or Nad in the diets.Potassium depletion in rats leads to an alteration in behavior associated with urine drinking (Orent-Keiles & McCollum, 1941) and an increased ingestion of various salt solutions in concentrations that are aversive to the normal rat (Adam & Dawborn, 1972). Although KC1 is preferred to water or MgSOi in potassium-depleted rats (Milner & Zucker, 1965), NaCl is preferred to KC1 (Adam & Dawborn, 1972;Blake & Jurf, 1968;Zucker, 1965); thus potassium appetite is not absolutely specific.Because of the ubiquity of potassium in foods it is unlikely that animals become purely potassium depleted in the natural state, and it is difficult to understand the purpose for a selective potassium appetite.

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“…Potassium depletion in rats leads to an alteration in behavior associated with urine drinking (Orent-Keiles & McCollum, 1941) and an increased ingestion of various salt solutions in concentrations that are aversive to the normal rat (Adam & Dawborn, 1972). Although KC1 is preferred to water or MgSOi in potassium-depleted rats (Milner & Zucker, 1965), NaCl is preferred to KC1 (Adam & Dawborn, 1972;Blake & Jurf, 1968;Zucker, 1965); thus potassium appetite is not absolutely specific.…”

Effect of potassium depletion on mineral appetite in the rat.

“…Potassium-deficient rats show searching activity and appear to drink urine (Orent-Keiles & McCollum, 1941). They have been shown to drink .1 MKC1 in preference to water or MgS0 4 (Milner & Zucker, 1965) but prefer dilute NaCl solutions when these are offered with a more concentrated KC1 solution (Zucker, 1965).…”