Objective: In order to evaluate the efficacy of glycine chelated iron (II) in improving nutritional anemia in rats.
Methods: After weaning wistar rats, weighing 50 - 60g, were fed the iron deficient diet for three weeks, whole blood was taken from rat's tail to measure Hb, then the rats were randomly divided into five groups by Hb, that is the control group fed with iron deficient diet, three groups fed the diets supplemented with different glycine chelated iron (II), and another group fed with the diet added with lactate iron. Each group was fed respective diets for four weeks and indicators related to iron-deficient nutritional anemia were evaluated.
Results: The addition of glycine chelated iron (II) did improve the growth and development of rats, increase the hemoglobin level and the iron retention in spleen, decrease free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP) content in whole blood, and there was no significant difference between three supplemental groups with glycine chelated iron (II) and the group with lactate iron.
Conclusion: glycine chelated iron (II) can be used as a reasonable iron supplement in improving iron-deficient nutritional anemia.