Effective use of tea to limit dietary iron available to starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).
Wild-caught starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) were fed an iron-enriched diet, with or without supplemental black tea leaves, to determine whether tea-derived tannins would prevent intestinal iron absorption. Hepatic biopsies were obtained to determine hepatic iron concentrations by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Hepatic iron concentrations increased significantly (P = 0.04) in 21 birds that consumed only the iron-enriched diet for 6 mo but not in the 20 birds that consumed the iron-enriched diet with tea leaf supplementation for the same time period.
Riverbanks Zoological Park and Botanical Gardens, Columbia, South Carolina 29202, USA.
Bob
B
Seibels
Nadine
N
Lamberski
Christopher R
CR
Gregory
Kerri
K
Slifka
Ann E
AE
Hagerman
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001682:Biological Availability; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D006486:Hemosiderosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D011897:Random Allocation; D020308:Songbirds / Q000378:metabolism*; D013634:Tannins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*
D019266:Iron, Dietary; D013634:Tannins; D013662:Tea