Hematological Status of Rats Fed Oxidized Beef Lipids

Hemoglobin, hematocrit, total iron binding capacity, and erythrocyte thiobarbituric acid (TBA) numbers were measured in blood from rats given a diet containing 52.7% cooked ground beef which was fed as freshly cooked beef (control), or after refrigerated storage (5°C) for 1, 3 or 8 days. Rats were maintained on the experimental diets for 6 wk. As the level of oxidation increased in the meat, erythrocyte TBA numbers also increased and were significantly different among groups. There was a drop in the erythrocyte TBA numbers for rats consuming beef stored for 8 days, suggesting that a level of rancidity was reached that was adequate to induce synthesis of enzymes that metabolize free radicals such as catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase.