EFFECT OF TEA ON IRON-ABSORPTION FROM THE TYPICAL TUNISIAN MEAL COUSCOUS FED TO HEALTHY RATS

Black and green tea decoctions are popular beverages in Tunisia, espec ially after eating. Our study was performed to examine the effect of g raded amounts of black and green tea decoction prepared under realisti c Tunisian conditions on nonheme iron absorption from a typical Tunisi an meal,'couscous', by extrinsic radioiron labeling in rats. Concentra tions of 300, 200 and 100 mu g/ml of black tea decreased dramatically nonheme iron bioavailability from couscous, but 50 mu g/ml did not inf luence iron absorption. The inhibition of nonheme iron from couscous v aried from 36 to 61% with black tea and 30.5% with green tea. Taken to gether, our findings show that the tea decoction in Tunisia has a grea t inhibitory power and may constitute an important factor for the deve lopment of iron deficiency anemia throughout Tunisia.