Dietary cellulose has no effect on the regeneration of hemoglobin in growing rats with iron deficiency anemia.

The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of cellulose on intestinal iron absorption in rats during recovery from iron deficiency anemia. Twenty-one-day-old male Wistar-EPM rats were fed an iron-free ration for two weeks to induce anemia. At 5 weeks of age, the rats were divided into two groups (both groups receiving 35 mg of elemental iron per kg diet): cellulose group (N = 12), receiving a diet containing 100 g of cellulose/kg and control (N = 12), receiving a diet containing no cellulose. The fresh weight of the feces collected over a 3-day period between the 15th and 18th day of dietary treatment was 10.7 +/- 3.5 g in the group receiving cellulose and 1.9 +/- 1.2 g in the control group (P<0.001). Total food intake was higher in the cellulose group (343.4 +/- 22.0 g) than in the control (322.1 +/- 13.1 g, P = 0.009) during the 3 weeks of dietary treatment. No significant difference was observed in weight gain (cellulose group = 132.8 +/- 19.2, control = 128.0 +/- 16.3 g), hemoglobin increment (cellulose group = 8.0 +/- 0.8, control = 8.0 +/- 1.0 g/dl), hemoglobin level (cellulose group = 12.3 +/- 1.2, control = 12.1 +/- 1.3 g/dl) or in hepatic iron levels (cellulose group = 333.6 +/- 112.4, control = 398.4 +/- 168.0 g/g dry tissue). We conclude that cellulose does not adversely affect the regeneration of hemoglobin, hepatic iron level or the growth of rats during recovery from iron deficiency anemia.