Enteral nutrition is beneficial support administered as oral supplements or via tube feeding for patients with long-term inability to meet nutritional requirements orally. However, because of the high volumes administered, vomiting and gastroesophageal reflux are often encountered in patients receiving enteral nutrition. EN-P05 is a novel, highly concentrated enteral nutrition formula that was developed to reduce dosing volume and that satisfies the Japanese recommended daily allowance for most vitamins and trace elements, even in patients who require low-calorie control, such as home-care patients. However, whether EN-P05 can provide nutritional management equivalent to that provided by approved formulas has remained unknown. To investigate the nutritional effectiveness of EN-P05, we evaluated body weight gain, serum chemistry parameters, nitrogen balance, and fat absorption in 7-week-old gastrostomized rats that received either EN-P05 or OSN-001 for 2 weeks. No difference in organ or carcass weight was found between the groups. No significant between-group differences were observed in serum albumin, total protein, triglycerides, or total cholesterol, nor in nitrogen retention or fat absorption rate. No adverse effects associated with administration of EN-P05 were found. These results suggest that EN-P05 can provide the same nutritional management as approved formulas, even when administered in smaller volume.
