Food & Nutrition

Arab Journal of Food & Nutrition
67. Study of Calcium Bioavailability of Different Local Food Sources in Rats as
Compared with That of Milk Calcium (2003)
Suzan Attiya Al-Banna\ University of Jordan
Supervisor: Dr. Hamed R. Takruri
This study was conducted to assess the bioavailability of calcium from different
local food sources having different calcium / phosphorus ratios including sesame
seeds, black cumin seeds, decorticated sesame seeds, fenugreek seeds, almond, garden
rocket, mint, Swiss chard and mallow. The bioavailability of calcium was studied by
the total collection method using Sprague-Dawley rats. Absorption and tissue
concentration of calcium were determined as response parameters for the
bioavailability.
Five young growing Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes (3F: 2M) were sacrified
at the beginning of the experiment to determine the initial concentrations of calcium in
serum and femur. Another fifty-five rats were divided into eleven groups. Each group,
constituting of five rats, was fed a diet containing one of the studied foods as a source
of calcium for four weeks.
The results showed that the average weight gain and feed efficiency ratio were
the highest (p0.05), except for Swiss chard
and mint groups.
Calcium utilization, as indicated by femur content, the highest was for the
animals fed milk (p0.05). There were no
significant differences in serum calcium among rats fed different food sources. A
significant positive correlation coefficient was obtained between calcium / phosphorus
ratios and total absorption (r = 0.75, p = 0.02).
It is concluded that calcium bioavailability was the best from milk followed by
black cumin and almond. Also, it was observed that different Ca/P ratios of the foods
studied had a positive influence on total absorption of calcium but not on the
percentage of its absorption.
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Volume 231 11, No. 25, 2011