Studies on lipids metabolism in rats; 1 dietary protein sources and lipids profiles of rats

Protein diets containing either animal protein [skim milk, meat, egg albumin and casein] or plant protein [broad beans, lupinus termis, lentils and soybean] were fed to eight groups of rats for eight weeks. Levels of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids as well as weight gain, food intake, protein efficiency were measured. The results showed a significant increase in total lipids, phospholipids, triglycerides and cholesterol and decreasing levels for HDL-cholesterol in the rats fed the animal proteins. However, plant proteins indicated a significant decrease for total lipids, phospholipids, triglycerides and total cholesterol with exception of HDL and cholesterol, which showed increasing level

I- Fortification of bread with iron and amino acids

Fortification of breads [Shamy 72% and Baladi 87% extraction] with iron alone or iron, lysine and methionine were applied P.E.R. values of fortified breads showed higher levels for both of breads fortified with iron and lysine [1.9]. While addition of methionine resulted lower levels of P.E.R [1.4]. Protein content of liver of rats fed the fortified diets as well as non-haem iron and hepatic iron stores, showed higher levels, for rats fed Shamy bread, compared by those of Baladi bread. The highest levels for non-haem iron and hepatic iron stores were given by the diets sup-plemented by iron, lysine and methionine

II- Bioavailability of iron of enriched bread diets with iron and amino acids

Baladi and Shamy bread diets of extraction 87% and 72% were fortified with iron [2 and 4mg/100gm] or with lysine and methionine [30 and 15gm/100gm] in addition with iron. The bread diets were fed to rats which were first made iron deficient. After feeding the depletion diet for 4 weeks; the repletion diets containing bread fortified with iron and amino acids were then given to the rats for 21days. Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were determined during the regeneration period. The results showed that diets containing Shamy bread [72%] fortified with iron gave relatively higher levels of hemoglobin. The net increase was found to be 5.8gm /100ml compared with the controls [0.42gm /100ml] and with Baladi [87%], 5.5 gm /100ml. Diets containing iron as well as methionine and lysine resulted not increase in hemoglobin 1.8gm /100ml for Shamy bread and 1.06gm / 100ml for Baladi bread. Hematocrit levels of the tested diets revealed that diets containing iron alone showed the highest level 46.6%. Depletion, repletion showed a high increase of gained hemoglobin for Shamy bread [5.9gm /100ml] compared with those of Baladi [5.4gm /100ml]