Cereal Chem 68:190-194   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Effect of Dietary Cereal Brans on the Metabolism of Trace Elements in a Long-Term Rat Study.

B. G. Shah, S. Malcolm, B. Belonje, K. D. Trick, R. Brassard, and R. Mongeau. Copyright 1991 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

To determine the effect of cereal brans on the matabolism of iron, zinc, copper, and manganese, a seven- month study was conducted using male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. They were fed diets containing cellulose, oat bran, hard red spring wheat bran, soft white wheat bran, corn bran, or rodent chow at 4 or 14% total dietary fiber. During week 7 (phase 1) and week 24 (phase 2), mineral balance studies were conducted. The diet, urine, feces, liver, heart, muscle, kidney, and femur were analyzed for the trace elements. Apparent absorption of the minerals decreased from phase 1 to 2, but tissue levels generally increased with age. Tissue levels were generally higher in females than males. Dietary fiber or phytate did not adversely affect apparent mineral absorption or tissue level. In phase 2, liver iron of the male rats fed diets containing higher endogenous iron levels was approximately 50% higher than that of the males fed diets with lower iron levels. The femur zinc levels in rats fed 14% wheat bran fiber were about 15% lower than those of the other rats, despite higher dietary zinc, but this may not be physiologically meaningful.