Title : The role of catechins as natural iron chelator
Abstract:
The present work is a trial to investigate the relationship between iron pollution of drinking water and the levels of liver and spleen overloaded with iron in human body and albino rats and their treatment with natural iron chelating agent (catechin).
Subjects and methods; types of drinking water samples collected from the different districts and 30 albino rats were subjected to analysis for iron biochemical and histopathology.
The results from experimental work on rats showed the liver function tests and the levels of iron were highly significantly elevated in both treated liver and spleen groups. On the other hand, the liver function tests and the iron level were highly significantly decreased in both liver and spleen of rats treated with iron-chelating agent which overloaded with iron when compared with iron-overload rat group only. Light microscopic examinations showed that elevation of iron levels in both rat's liver and spleen overloaded with iron. Furthermore, iron concentration decreased in rats treated group with iron and natural chelating agent (catechin) when compared with iron overload rat group only.
Discussion; The comparison between iron concentration in drinking water and blood samples shows positive relationship and this is confirmed experimentally where the iron overload caused the elevation of iron levels in both rat's liver and spleen.
Conclusion; catechin leads to decrease of iron levels in liver and spleen of treated animals. Recommendations; 1-chemical analysis must be carried out periodically for the domestic water.
- Contamination by Fe could be avoided through, oxidation process by addition of air, followed by filtration.
- Using the natural iron-chelating agent (Catechin) leads to decrease of iron levels in patients of liver and spleen diseases, where this agent may form a complex with excess iron in both of these organs, which could treat the iron-overload.
