Bioavailability of iron from soybean-fortified wheat flour (dubbie) in rats.

Abstract

An aemic rats were fed on diets containing sour dough bread (Defo dabbo) or poridge prepared fro soy-fortified wheat flour (Dubbie) as the source of nonhemed iron.The criteria used to determine the relative biological value (RBV) of iron was the haemoglobin regeneration efficency (HRE).Animals fed diets with casein as a Source of dieatry protin and FeSO4 (RBV of FeSO4=100%)served as control. The RBV of endogenous iron in sour dough bread (Difo dabbo) and porridge was found to be 83 and 36%, respectively. The respective mean apparent absorption of iron were 85,66 and 35% for anamemic rats when Dubble into sour dough bresd resulted in a complete removal of the phytic acid content and subsequent increse in iron absorpition. It is concluded that sour dough bresd (Difo dabbo) is a good source of iron compared to porridge prepared from dubbie.