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Factors Affecting the Concentration and Bioavailability of Iron in Turnip Greens to Rats

U.S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853

The influence of several factors on the amount and availability of iron in uncooked turnip greens was studied. Plants were grown in nutrient solutions containing ⁵⁹Fe, and iron availability was estimated by feeding homogenates of these ⁵⁹Fe-labeled turnip tops to iron-depleted rats, then measuring retained ⁵⁹Fe in a whole-body counter. Younger leaves generally had higher iron concentrations than older leaves, and increasing the iron concentration of the nutrient solution generally produced only a small increase in leaf-blade iron concentrations. Plants grown in nutrient solutions deficient in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contained more iron than control plants, but the iron was less available to rats and was less soluble in a variety of extractants, including 0.2 N HCl. Iron from "intrinsically" labeled uncooked turnip green homogenates (plants grown in nutrient solution containing ⁵⁹Fe) was significantly less available than that from "extrinsically" labeled homogenates (⁵⁹FeCl₃ added directly to the homogenate). In these studies, the "extrinsic tag approach" would have overestimated iron availability.

KEY WORDS: • iron absorption • iron availability • turnip green iron

¹ Present address: Department of Chemical Pathology, University College Hospital, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.

² Send reprint requests to Dr. D. R. Van Campen, U.S. Plant. Soil and Nutrition Laboratory, Tower Road, Ithaca, New York 14853.

³ Division of Nutrition, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853.

Manuscript received 16 September 1974.