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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Dietary Prevention of Obesity-related Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #80257
Title: EVIDENCE FOR ENHANCEMENT OF NONHEME IRON ABSORPTION IN BEAGLE DOGS BY TYPICAL DIETARY LEVELS OF STEARIC ACID IN BEEF TALLOW

Author
item MCLAREN, G - VETERANS ADMINISTRATION
item Lukaski, Henry
item JOHNSON, PHYLLIS
item MISEK, A - NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV
item SMITH, M - NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/22/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We previously found that dietary stearic acid (St) increased intestinal iron (Fe) absorption in Fe-deficient beagles, and beef tallow (BT), a practical source of St. Addition of either 20% St or 20% Bt to an Fe -repletion diet for 4 wks resulted in an increase in hemoglobin (Hb) of 20-25 g/L compared to an increase of only 6-7 g/L when the diet was supplemented with the same concentration of safflower oil(p < 0.002). Compartmental analysis of mucosal tracer iron kinetics indicated that this enhancing effect is mediated by an increase in the rate constant for transfer of Fe from the intestinal mucosa to the systemic circulation. We examined the effect of a lower concentration of St or BT, comparable to levels encountered in a typical western diet, on the regulation of iron absorption in the same animals. Adult beagles (n=6) first were fed a low Fe diet (g-8 ug/g) and depleted of Fe by serial phlebotomy. This resulted d in moderate Fe-deficiency anemia (Hb 89 +/- 10 g/L, mean +/- SD). Dietar Fe then was increased to 22-24 ug/g, supplemented with one of the following fat sources, for 4 wk: 12% safflower oil (Saff), 10% St plus 2% Saff, or 10% BT plus 2% Saff. After a rest period, the dogs again were depleted of Fe, then crossed over to a different Fe-repletion diet for 4 wk. Increases in Hb over 4 wk were greater in either St-fed (9.3 +/- 4.6 g/L) or BT-fed (9.0 +/- 3.4 g/L) than Saff-fed dogs (3.5 +/- 2.6 g/L; p = 0.007 and 0.024, respectively). Iron absorption also was greater with St (51.8 +/- 11.0%), or BT (48.7 +/- 7.7%) than Saff (30.5 +/- 3.2%; p = 0.004 and 0.002, respectively). The results suggest that St may be a factor in meat that promotes absorption of dietary nonheme Fe.