Effect of Feeding Polyoxyethylene Monostearates on Growth Rate and Gross Pathology of Weanling Hamsters.

The ingestion of 5 or 15% of polyoxyethylene monostearate preparations (Myrj of Sta-soft) by weanling hamsters significantly reduced the rate of gain as compared to animals fed lard. This was evident after 2 weeks on experiment. There was also a decrease in food efficiency. The retarded gains were not attributable to reduced food intake or to the caloric inertness of the polyoxyethylene moiety of the test products. Marked changes in the intestinal tract and severe diarrhea were also observed when Myrj or Sta-soft was fed. Mortality data, data on organ weights and the gross pathology also indicated that the ingestion of these compounds was deleterious to the hamsters as compared to the data obtained on lard or lard plus celluflour.