Bioavailability of Iron and the Influence of Vitamin a in Biofortified Foods

Abstract

Inadequate eating habits, among other factors, lead to nutritional deficiencies worldwide. Attempts have been made to control micronutrient deficits, such as biofortification of usually consumed crops, but the interaction between food components may affect the bioavailability of the nutrients. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of pro-vitamin A on the bioavailability of iron in biofortified cowpea and cassava mixture, compared to their conventional counterparts. The chemical composition of the raw material was determined, and an in vivo study was performed, with Wistar rats, using the depletion-repletion method. Gene expression of iron-metabolism proteins was evaluated. Results were compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by the Tukey test (p < 0.05). Biofortified cowpea (BRS Aracê) showed an increase of approximately 19.5% in iron content compared to conventional (BRS Nova era). No difference in Hemoglobin gain was observed between groups. However, the animals fed biofortified cowpea were similar to ferrous sulfate (Control group) regarding the expression of the hephaestin and ferroportin proteins, suggesting a greater efficiency in the intestinal absorption of iron. Thus, this study points out a higher efficiency of the biofortified cowpea in the bioavailability of iron, regardless of the presence of pro-vitamin A.

Microgreens Biometric and Fluorescence Response to Iron (Fe) Biofortification

“…Microgreens, like vegetables, can be biofortified with various elements (e.g., iron, selenium, silicon, or iodine) by increasing their concentration in the medium or spraying them with compounds, thus providing missing minerals in the human diet [ 12 ]. Previous studies show good absorption of that element from biofortified plants, which may be due to the high content of ascorbic acid in the plants, among other things [ 13 ].…”

Biofortification of Plant- and Animal-Based Foods in Limiting the Problem of Microelement Deficiencies—A Narrative Review

“…No differences in hemoglobin levels, but hemoglobin levels similar to the ferrous-sulfate-supplemented group [121] Red mottled beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)…”

“…To date, research work has used laboratory animals (rats, usually Wistar) but also other species (Table 3). Depending on the element to be analyzed, the hemoglobin depletion-repletion method (Fe), analysis of micronutrient contents in serum, urine, and feces, and stable isotopes have been used [121]. It is also possible to perform micronutrient content analysis in tissues [137,138], which can allow for indirect determination of the biofortification efficacy in the context of animal viability.…”

Iron deficiency anemia: a critical review on iron absorption, supplementation and its influence on gut microbiota

“…Hemoglobin regeneration efficiency (HRE), a method of assessing in vivo iron bioavailability of food products, is determined as the percent conversion of dietary iron into hemoglobin-iron in blood. 42 Antunes et al 43 found that biofortified cowpea exhibited excellent in vivo iron bioavailability with high HRE values in rat models, suggesting a greater iron absorption efficiency from biofortified cowpea in the intestinal tract. Additionally, a greater hemoglobin regeneration efficiency was found in iron-deficiency rats fed with tripeptide iron, and anemia symptoms of rats resumed to normal or improved after administration with tripeptide iron.…”