Utilization of Calcium and Sodium Sulfate by the Rat

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Abstract
In order that calcium sulfate might be established as a satisfactory source of inorganic sulfur to use in altering the ratio of neutral to inorganic sulfur in purified diets, salt mixtures incorporating calcium sulfate and sodium sulfate at levels sufficient to give 0.10 and 0.42% of inorganic sulfur in the diet were compared with each other and with the Hubbell-Mendel-Wakeman salt mixture. The comparative effect of these salts on growth, feed efficiency, absorption, fecal and urinary excretion, blood level and the incorporation of sulfate into cartilage mucopolysaccharides was studied. Calcium sulfate appeared to function as well as, if not better than, sodium sulfate; no ill-effects of either salt were observed. When the animals received 0.10% and 0.42% of sulfate a small increase in feed efficiency was obtained over that recorded with 0.02% of sulfate as furnished by the level of Hubbell-Mendel-Wakeman salt mixture used in this investigation.