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Effects of calcium supplementation on iron bioavailability from spirulina

Su Peng Loh (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia)
Hishamuddin Omar (Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia)
Abdul Salam Abdullahl (Institute of Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Biotechnology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia)
Maznah Ismail (Institute of Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Biotechnology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia)

Nutrition & Food Science

ISSN: 0034-6659

Publication date: 1 November 2006

Abstract

Purpose

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The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of calcium supplementation on the iron bioavailability from spirulina (SP) and ferrous sulphate (FE) as reference in iron deficient rats.

Design/methodology/approach

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Sixty‐four weanling male Sprague‐Dawley rats were first depleted of iron by giving low iron diet for a period of 28 days. The anaemic rats were repleted with iron sources from SP, spirulina+CaCO3 (SPC), FE, FeSO4+CaCO3 (FEC), normal diet (ND), normal diet+CaCO3 (NDC) for 21 days. Iron level of FE supplementation was twice the level of that in SP supplementation. Haematological variables were measured on the last day of preexperimental period and at the end of the repletion period.

Findings

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Paired samples t‐test at P<0.05 showed that haemoglobin (Hb) and haematocrit (Ht) was increased in all the groups. The diet with added calcium did not significantly inhibit haemoglobin repletion after 21 days in SP and FE. The haemoglobin repletion efficiency (HRE) was significantly higher in rats fed with SP compared to FE (P>0.05). The presence of calcium did not significantly reduce the HRE of these groups.

Originality/value

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This paper provides information on effects of additional calcium on iron bioavailability from SP as the intake of dietary supplementation is increasing worldwide.

Keywords

Citation

Peng Loh, S., Omar, H., Salam Abdullahl, A. and Ismail, M. (2006), "Effects of calcium supplementation on iron bioavailability from spirulina", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 36 No. 6, pp. 429-437. https://doi.org/10.1108/00346650610712243

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Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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