Dietary Supplementation of Female Rats with Elk Velvet Antler Improves Physical and Neurological Development of Offspring

Table 1

Effects of maternal dietary EVA supplementation on the onset and completion of neuromotor skill and neurological reflex acquisition in rat pups.

Signs^2	Day of onset^1				Day of completion^1
	Male		Female		Male		Female
	Control	EVA	Control	EVA	Control	EVA	Control	EVA
Righting reflex	2.0 (0.01)	1.0 (0.05)	2.0 (0.02)	1.1 (0.07)	4.9 (0.25)	3.1 (0.12)	4.9 (0.26)	3.1 (0.12)
Negative geotaxis	4.1 (0.18)	4.0 (0.20)	4.0 (0.20)	4.0 (0.20)	6.9 (0.27)	6.8 (0.28)	6.5 (0.30)	6.5 (0.30)
Cliff avoidance	6.6 (0.30)	6.3 (0.26)	6.9 (0.20)	6.9 (0.33)	8.0 (0.35)	6.6 (0.28)	7.9 (0.32)	7.9 (0.35)
Acoustic startle	11.0 (0.45)	9.4 (0.40)	11.0 (0.45)	9.4 (0.40)	12.0 (0.50)	11.0 (0.45)	12.0 (0.50)	11.6 (0.51)
Supported standing	8.0 (0.34)	7.6 (0.33)	8.0 (0.34)	7.6 (0.33)	11.2 (0.65)	10.0 (0.00)*	10.9 (0.48)	9.1 (0.34)*
Unsupported standing	15.9 (0.66)	14.9 (0.65)*	15.8 (0.56)	15.0 (0.70)	17.9 (0.66)	15.8 (0.30)*	17.9 (0.66)	16.1 (0.40)*

¹Data are expressed as mean ± standard error of man (SEM).
²The acquisition of various reflexes (yes/no) was assessed at specific postnatal ages, for example, Righting Reflex at PND 1–5, Negative Geotaxis at PND 4–6, Cliff Avoidance at PND 6–8, Acoustic Startle at PND 9–12, Supported standing at PND 7–11, and Unsupported standing at PND 15–18.
*Significant (𝑃≤0.05) differences between control and EVA groups (within gender) in the onset or completion of physical and neurological signs of development.