The effects of the fortificant NaFeEDTA in tofu flour on red blood cell counts in male Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus norvegicus L.)

The effects of the fortificant NaFeEDTA in tofu flour on red blood cell counts in male Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus norvegicus L.) were examined. In total, 25 rats were divided into five groups as follows: normal control (NC), which was administered 0.5 % carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC); treatment control (TC), which was administered 0.5 % CMC and unfortified tofu flour; and three treatment groups, which were administered 0.5 % CMC and tofu flour containing 2.7 (T1), 5.4 (T2), or 10.8 mg Fe/kg bw NaFeEDTA (T3). All five groups were treated for 14 consecutive days. Red blood cell counts were measured using an automatic hematology analyzer (Nihon Kohden Celltac α MEK-6450). One-way ANOVA revealed significant effects (P < 0.05) of NaFeEDTA on red blood cell counts in all treatment groups. A least significant difference test illustrated that the red blood cell count was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the three treatment groups than in the NC and TC groups. The largest increase of the red blood cell count was detected in the T2 group at t₁₄, and the change reflected increases of 22.26 % versus the NC group and 20.24 % versus the TC group.