COMPARISON OF THE EFFICIENCY OF CHINESE HERBS, COPPER-GLUCONATE AND COPPER-SULFATE ON COPPER STATUS IN COPPER-DEFICIENT RATS

96 male Sprague-Dawley rats with an average body weight of 37.7 +/- 3. 5 g were first divided into 2 groups. One group consisting of 84 rats received a copper-deficient diet with 0.6 mg Cu/kg diet and the other group consisting of 12 rats were pair fed a control diet with 6.0 mg C u/kg diet in form of CuSO4 for 12 days. After this period the copper-d epleted group was divided into 7 groups of 12 rats each. For one group (I) the application of the copper-deficient diet continued. The other groups received diets with 1.7 mg Cu/kg in form of safflower (Cartham us tinctorius L, 4.2%, group Ill), salvia (Salvia miltiorrhiza, 6.4%, group V) and Cu-gluconate (group VII). Each of these groups had a grou p pair fed CuSO4 (groups IV, VI and VIII). In the control group (II) t he application of copper-adequate diet (6.0 mg Cu/kg) was continued. A fter another 22 days the influence of the different diets on copper st atus, hematological parameters, electrocardiogram (ECG) and concentrat ions of blood lipids was determined. Activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in erythrocytes, ceruloplasmin activity in serum and copper conc entrations in serum, heart and liver as well as some hematological par ameters of copper-deficient rats were lower than those of control rats . In contrast, the application of the copper-deficient diet did not pr oduce growth retardation, altered ECG or hyperlipidemia. In most cases feeding 1.7 mg Cu/kg diet was as effective as 6.0 mg Cu/kg. On the ot her hand, rats receiving 1.7 mg Cu/kg diet had lower Cu concentrations in heart and liver than control rats. With regard to SOD activity, co pper concentration in heart and all hematological parameters it has be en shown that copper from safflower, salvia and Cu-gluconate were as e ffective as CuSO4. Concerning ceruloplasmin activity salvia and Cu-glu conate were more effective than CuSO4, and copper concentration in rat liver was higher feeding safflower and salvia compared to CuSO4. Saff lower, salvia and Cu-gluconate had only a slightly effect on EGG. All the results show more likely dependence mainly on the copper level in the diet not on the copper source. Besides its high copper content bot h herbs did not contain compounds which clearly depress or promote the biological availability of copper.