The Effects of Dietary Iron Supplementation on the Toxicity of Piroctone Olamine in the Growing Rat

ABSTRACT

Weanling Charles River CD rats of both sexes were fed 300 mg/ kg/day of Piroctone Olamine, an anti-bacterial agent, and were supplemented with 0, 50, 100 or 200 ppm dietary iron as FeS0₄-7H₂0 for six weeks. However, analytical data indicated that Piroctone was degraded in the diet so that the rats received only 225 mg/kg/day. The rats given Piroctone Olamine without iron gained significantly less body weight and ate significantly less feed than controls, with the effect being more pronounced in the males. They also developed severe microcytic, hypochromic anemia.