Abstract

The period of complementary feeding in infants can be described as a gradual transition from an exclusive milk diet to a complete range of foods eaten by adults and has been recommended to begin after six months of exclusive breast feeding. Dietary elements such as Ca, N, Fe and Na; are important nutrients in complementary nutrition not just as food ‘component’ but such that must be optimally absorbed from the gut if physiological functionality is desired. Therefore, the bioavailability of these nutrients in CF and BF were investigated using Male Wistar-strain weaning rat model. During the study, which lasted for 7days; weight gained, amount of food consumed, food efficiency and the respective bioavailability of Ca, N, Fe and Na were investigated using standard experimental procedures. The results show that significantly higher ((p≤ 0.05) quantities of CF and rat chow were consumed compared to BF. Meanwhile, there was no significant difference between quantity of CF consumed, and that of rat chow. Although the animals fed BF showed lower growth rate and weight gain than those fed CF and rat chow; the FER was highest in CF but least in rat chow, and seemed to increase with days until a retardation point when growth and development rates were no longer as rapid as they were previously. Ca is significantly more bioavailable in BF (99.775 ± 0.050) than in CF (86.386 ± 7.067) at p≤ 0.05. Although N and Fe are more bioavailable in animals fed CF than in those fed BF, the difference thereof was of no significant import. However, the bioavailability of Na among the two animal groups studied was significantly higher in animals fed CF (99.200 ± 1.506) than in those fed BF (68.475 ± 36.234). Both CF and BF were physiologically supportive to growth and development though, experimental animals fed CF showed higher weight gained than those fed BF and the mineral nutrients studied were optimally absorbed in the gut. This implied that with the right processing method(s) and informed formulation, locally formulated complementary food could also adequately support growth and development even in infants.