Evaluating the Influence of Extrinsic Iron From Soil Contaminated Teff on Hemoglobin Regeneration of Anemic Rats: Indicator of Bioavailability of Extrinsic Iron.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2015-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Iron deficiency is prevalent in Ethiopia despite high dietary intake. The contribution of iron from
extrinsic sources from soil contamination during threshing is likely to be high. However, the
actual bioavailability of contaminant iron remains unknown. The objective of this study was to
determine the level of iron in field and laboratories threshed flours of teff from the same variety
and investigate the iron bioavailability of the intrinsic and extrinsic iron associated with teff
using rat hemoglobin repletion assay. Two samples of red teff grown in a similar condition were
collected; one harvested and threshed in the laboratory and the other threshed traditionally.
Flours from the two samples were analyzed for their dry matter, proximate composition, total
iron contents and in vivo bioavailability was evaluated using rat hemoglobin repletion bioassay
and was compared to the standard ferrous sulfate. Protein, fat and total carbohydrate contents of
laboratory threshed and field threshed teff flours were shown to have no statistically significant
difference (p>0.05). Field threshed teff (3.3+0.31 g/100g) has significantly higher ash content
than the lab threshed (1.8+0.16 g/100g) (p<0.05). Total iron content of field threshed teff flour
(29.44 + 2.38 mg/100g) was more than fourfold greater than that of the lab threshed teff flour
(6.65 + 0.05). The hemoglobin regeneration efficiency relative to ferrous sulfate group (control
100%), of lab and field threshed teff flours were 67.64+6.7% and 88.4+8.9%, respectively. eff
is a good source of bioavailable iron. Furthermore, additional soil iron contamination resulting
from the traditional threshing of the grain contributes to the pool of bioavailable iron. The
present in vivo study clearly illustrates that extrinsic iron can lead to hemoglobin repletion in iron
deficient rats and is thus an important source of bioavailable iron.
Key Words: Teff, Threshing; Bioavailability; Contaminant Iro; Extrinsic iron; Hemoglobin
Regeneration Efficiency; Relative Biological Value.
Description
Keywords
: Teff, Threshing; Bioavailability; Contaminant Iro; Extrinsic iron; Hemoglobin Regeneration Efficiency; Relative Biological Value.