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Absorption of calcium from tortilla meals prepared from low-phytate maize^1,2,3

¹ From the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Nutrition, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO (KMH, NFK, JLW, LS, and LVM), and the US Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit, Aberdeen, ID (KLP and VR)

Background:Calcium fortification of maize has been achieved for millennia in Central America by the process of nixtamalization. Bioavailability of calcium is, however, compromised by phytate, which is present in large quantities in maize kernels and is only modestly reduced by nixtamalization.

Objective:The objective was to compare the absorption of calcium from tortilla meals prepared from low-phytate maize with that from meals prepared from maize with typical phytate content.

Design:At 1-mo intervals, 5 healthy adult women were fed 2 test meals of 140 g tortillas in lieu of breakfast. On one occasion, the tortillas were prepared from maize with 60% phytate reduction, and, on the other occasion, they were prepared from the matching isohybrid wild-type maize. Beginning midway through the test meal, ⁴⁴Ca (0.3 mg/kg body wt) was administered in water as an extrinsic label; ⁴²Ca (0.06 mg/kg body wt) was administered intravenously immediately after the test meal. Isotope ratios of ⁴²Ca to ⁴³Ca and of ⁴⁴Ca to ⁴³Ca were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in urine collected as an 8-h pool from the period 16–24 h after intravenous tracer administration and prepared by the oxalate precipitation method. Fractional absorption of calcium was determined by using a dual-isotope ratio technique.

Results:Mean fractional absorption of calcium from tortillas prepared from the low-phytate maize (0.50 ± 0.03) was significantly (P = 0.003) greater than that from tortillas prepared from the control maize (0.35 ± 0.07).

Conclusion:The increase in the quantity of calcium absorbed could be of practical importance for calcium nutriture when the intake of dairy products is limited.

Key Words: Maize • phytate • low-phytate maize alleles • tortillas • calcium absorption

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