Characterization of Reusable and Recyclable Plastic Bedding Materials for Laboratory Mice.

ABSTRACT: The scientific community has placed increasing importance on sustainability, leading to the exploration of alternative bedding materials to the widely used aspen wood chips. Bedding plays a critical role in ensuring the wellbeing of animals and the validity of experimental outcomes. Compared to the frequently evaluated biological materials, such as corncobs or spelts, synthetic materials such as plastic granules have been less investigated. We characterized two thermostable plastic materials as an alternative bedding material in C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice. We examined the impact of those bedding alternatives on physiological parameters, behavior, health status, and cage climate in static and digitally ventilated cages as well as the possibility of a reuse cycle after reprocessing. The mouse

SUBMITTER: Matzek D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11851371 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature