Date palm and goat milk improve haematological parameters and availability of functional iron in iron deficient rats

Introduction: Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is endemic especially in the under-developed and developing countries and is a major public health concern. Improving nutrition is one of the ways to alleviate this condition. Consumption of locally available and affordable food such as date palm and goat milk which are rich in iron is one of the ways to overcome IDA. This study is aimed at evaluating the effect of date palm and goat milk supplementation on haematological parameters and iron bioavailability in IDA rats. Methods: 24 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control and IDA group. The normal control was fed with normal diet and water ad libitum while the IDA group were fed on iron-deficient diet for two weeks to induce iron deficiency. The IDA rats were further divided into subgroups; each being supplemented with date palm, goat milk, a combination of date palm and goat milk, and ferrous fumarate as positive control. Blood were collected after 28 days for haematological parameters and iron profile determination. Iron bioavailability was assessed using the haemoglobin regeneration efficiency (HRE) index. Data was analysed by Student T Test and ANOVA using SPSS 23.0 software with p value < 0.05 considered as statistically significant. Results: Supplementation of date palm and goat milk for 28 days significantly improved Hb, RBC, PCV, MCV, MCH, serum iron and transferrin saturation (p<0.05) in all treatment groups compared to normal control. The iron bioavailability of date palm and goat milk supplemented rats was similar to that of the positive control. Conclusion: Supplementation of date palm and goat milk in IDA rats improves haematological parameters and iron bioavailability. � 2020 UPM Press. All rights reserved.