This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Open AccessReview
Food Grinding Behavior: A Review of Causality and Influential Factors
by
Hao Tang
Hao Tang 1,
Wei-Wei Ge
Wei-Wei Ge 1,
Wan-Hong Wei
Wan-Hong Wei 1,2
,
Sheng-Mei Yang
Sheng-Mei Yang 1
and
Xin Dai
Xin Dai 1,*
1
College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou 225009, China
2
Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Submission received: 11 May 2024
/
Revised: 20 June 2024
/
Accepted: 21 June 2024
/
Published: 24 June 2024
Simple Summary
Food waste from grinding by experimental animals results in excess food scraps in cages, similar to how wild animals gnaw on vegetation and seeds, damaging the ecological environment. Despite food grinding’s function being partially understood, its biological purposes and influencing factors remain largely unexplored. This paper aims to review and explain potential causes of food grinding in animals, identify influencing factors, and discuss limitations. It emphasizes recent progress on gut microbiota’s significance in food grinding. The findings promote comprehensive food grinding research, benefiting laboratory animal husbandry and ecological protection.
Abstract
Food waste is a common issue arising from grinding of food by experimental animals, leading to excessive food scraps falling into cages. In the wild, animals grind food by gnawing vegetation and seeds, potentially damaging the ecological environment. However, limited ecology studies have focused on food grinding behavior since the last century, with even fewer on rodent food grinding, particularly recently. Although food grinding’s function is partially understood, its biological purposes remain under-investigated and driving factors unclear. This review aims to explain potential causes of animal food grinding, identify influencing factors, and discuss contexts and limitations. Specifically, we emphasize recent progress on gut microbiota significance for food grinding. Moreover, we show abnormal food grinding is determined by degree of excess normal behavior, emphasizing food grinding is not meaningless. Findings from this review promote comprehensive research on the myriad factors, multifaceted roles, and intricate evolution underlying food grinding behavior, benefiting laboratory animal husbandry and ecological environment protection, and identifying potential physiological benefits yet undiscovered.
Share and Cite
MDPI and ACS Style
Tang, H.; Ge, W.-W.; Wei, W.-H.; Yang, S.-M.; Dai, X.
Food Grinding Behavior: A Review of Causality and Influential Factors. Animals 2024, 14, 1865.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14131865
AMA Style
Tang H, Ge W-W, Wei W-H, Yang S-M, Dai X.
Food Grinding Behavior: A Review of Causality and Influential Factors. Animals. 2024; 14(13):1865.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14131865
Chicago/Turabian Style
Tang, Hao, Wei-Wei Ge, Wan-Hong Wei, Sheng-Mei Yang, and Xin Dai.
2024. "Food Grinding Behavior: A Review of Causality and Influential Factors" Animals 14, no. 13: 1865.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14131865
Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details
here.
Article Metrics
Article Access Statistics
For more information on the journal statistics, click
here.
Multiple requests from the same IP address are counted as one view.