Chemoreception for cellulose

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Abstract
Rats that had been trained to avoid a suspension containing 1% purified cellulose, subsequently avoided suspensions containing as little as 0.1% cellulose, but did not avoid suspensions containing com, wheat or rice starch. Subsequent experiments examined the basis for this unusual form of chemoreception. Viscosity measurements indicated that cellulose and starch have similar effects of viscosity; the suspending agent used in these experiments, xanthan gum, masked much of the textural effects of cellulose or starch in water. Therefore, it does not seem likely that rats sense cellulose via its textural effects. On the other hand, rats that had been trained to avoid cellulose suspensions, also avoided aqueous extracts of cellulose that had been filtered to remove cellulose particles. This result suggests that a water-soluble impurity contributes to cellulose chemoreception. This water-soluble impurity could be washed off cellulose with water, but returned after the washed cellulose was dried. It is likely that cellulose reacts with the atmosphere to produce small amounts of water-soluble compounds that rats can sense

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