Influence of Sucrose and Starch on the Development of Anemia in Copper- and Iron-Deficient Rats

Abstract

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 × 2 × 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.