Novel Iron-Whey Protein Microspheres Protect Gut Epithelial Cells from Iron-Related Oxidative Stress and Damage and Improve Iron Absorption in Fasting Adults

Abstract

Background: Iron food fortification and oral iron formulations are frequently limited by poor absorption, resulting in the widespread use of high-dose oral iron, which is poorly tolerated. Methods: We evaluated novel iron-denatured whey protein (Iron-WP) microspheres on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and viability in gut epithelial (HT29) cells. We compared iron absorption from Iron-WP versus equimolar-dose (25 mg elemental iron) ferrous sulphate (FeSO₄) in a prospective, randomised, cross-over study in fasting volunteers (n = 21 per group) dependent on relative iron depletion (a ferritin level ≤/>30 ng/mL). Results: Iron-WP caused less ROS generation and better HT29 cell viability than equimolar FeSO₄. Iron-WP also showed better absorption with a maximal 149 ± 39% increase in serum iron compared to 65 ± 14% for FeSO₄ (p = 0.01). The response to both treatments was dependent on relative iron depletion, and multi-variable analysis showed that better absorption with Iron-WP was independent of baseline serum iron, ferritin, transferrin saturation, and haemoglobin in the overall group and in the sub-cohort with relative iron depletion at baseline (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Novel Iron-WP microspheres may protect gut epithelial cells and improve the absorption of iron versus FeSO₄. Further evaluation of this approach to food fortification and supplementation with iron is warranted.

Bovine Holo-Beta-Lactoglobulin Cross-Protects Against Pollen Allergies in an Innate Manner in BALB/c Mice: Potential Model for the Farm Effect

“…quercetin in milk increases after feeding polyphenol-rich diets to lactating animals (43). There are numerous reports showing the iron-binding abilities of BLG (44)(45)(46)(47) as the major component in whey (48), leading to improved iron absorption (49)(50)(51)(52). On the other hand, milk processing such as pasteurization has been shown to cause aggregation of whey proteins (16), as well as a decrease in copper and iron content in milk.…”

Ameliorating Atopy by Compensating Micronutritional Deficiencies in Immune Cells: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study

“…15,16,20,29,31,32 Its ironbinding properties have been explored in the food industry, and the BLGeiron complex has been used as a carrier for iron supplementation in vitro and in vivo and in clinical trials. [33][34][35][36] Previously, we have shown that holoBLG specifically targets myeloid cells, evoking immune resilience and tolerance 15,16,31 sharing similarities with the observed "protective farm effect". 15 In the protective farm effect, two factors contribute independently in preventing atopy: components of farm dust 37,38 as well as the protein content in the whey fraction of raw cow's milk.…”

“…Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by Ficoll-Paque (GE Healthcare, Vienna, Austria) 23,35,50 and washed using 0.9% NaCl before peripheral blood mononuclear cells were incubated in media containing neither phenol red nor fetal calf serum for 18 hours. 35 Only a single time point was measured because of technical limitations encountered when working with iron, because media and buffers had to be iron-free, although iron is essential for cell survival.…”