Approximately 700 million people suff er from iron deficiency of diff erent degrees, many of whom are women, children and the elderly (1). In developing countries, the situation is worse, 97 % of deaths caused by IDA occur in low-and middle-income countries (2
SummaryBlack-bone silky fowl iron(II)-oligopeptide chelate was synthesized from iron(II) solution and the black-bone silky fowl oligopeptide, which was extracted from the muscle protein of black-bone silky fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus Brisson). Orthogonal array analysis was used to determine the optimal conditions for the iron(II)-oligopeptide chelate preparation. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to identify the structure of iron(II)-oligopeptide chelate. 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide radical scavenging assays were performed to compare the antioxidant abilities of the black-bone silky fowl oligopeptide and iron(II)-oligopeptide chelate. The optimal conditions for iron(II)-oligopeptide chelate preparation were 4 % of the black-bone silky fowl oligopeptide and a ratio of the black --bone silky fowl oligopeptide to FeCl 2 ·4H 2 O of 5:1 at pH=4. Under these conditions, the chelation rate was (84.9±0.2) % (p<0.05), and the chelation yield was (40.3±0.1) % (p<0.05). The structures detected with UV-Vis spectroscopy, electron microscopy and FTIR spectra changed signifi cantly aft er chelation, suggesting that Fe(II) ions formed coordinate bonds with carboxylate (-RCOO¯) and amino (-NH 2 ) groups in the oligopeptides, confi rming that this is a new oligopeptide-iron chelate. The iron(II)-oligopeptide chelate had stronger scavenging activity towards DPPH and superoxide radicals than did the black-bone silky fowl oligopeptide.