Abstract
This paper examines the development of iron (Fe) deficiency and its possible interactions with trace elements such as zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) by investigating iron-deficient and control rats. The effects of iron deficiency were studied at day 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 in rats fed on an iron-free diet (diet ID). It was found that the critical period in the development of nutritional iron deficiency occurs after 30 to 40 days without iron supplementation. At this time the organism is unable to maintain haemoglobin levels without endangering the iron-dependent enzymatic groups which are essential for life. It was also demonstrated that in a situation of iron deficiency, there occurs a greater absorption of copper, while that of zinc remains unchanged. As iron deficiency progresses, the levels of copper in the spleen and the sternum increase. It is apparent that iron deficiency provokes more marked alterations in the metabolism of copper than of zinc.