QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ann Johnson, M. Articles by Gratzek, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ann Johnson, M. Articles by Gratzek, J. M.

Influence of Sucrose and Starch on the Development of Anemia in Copper- and Iron-Deficient Rats^1,2,

Department of Foods and Nutrition, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the effects of sucrose and starch on the development of copper and iron deficiency. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 48) were fed one of eight diets in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design for 24 d. Two levels of copper (deficient, 0.7 µg/g, or adequate, 8.3 µg/g) and iron (deficient, 8.3 µg/g, or adequate, 50 µg/g), and two types of carbohydrate (sucrose or starch, 62% of the diet) were fed. Copper-deficient rats had significantly lower hematocrit, hemoglobin and tibia iron levels and depressed copper and iron absorption when fed sucrose instead of starch. The apparent absorption of copper, but not iron, was significantly lower when rats deficient in both copper and iron were fed sucrose rather than starch. Iron-deficient rats fed sucrose apparently absorbed significantly more iron than those fed starch; however, sucrose did not significantly improve hematocrit and hemoglobin levels. The metabolism of copper and iron by rats fed diets adequate in these nutrients was not affected by the type of dietary carbohydrate. These data indicate that the type of dietary carbohydrate alters both copper and iron metabolism, particularly in copper-deficient rats.

KEY WORDS: • anemia • copper • iron • sucrose • starch

¹ This research was supported by the Georgia Experiment Station, Project #H826, and the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.

² A portion of these data was presented at the FASEB Summer Research Conference: Trace Elements, held in Saxton's River, VT in June 1985.

Manuscript received 6 March 1986. Revision accepted 17 July 1986.