HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 89/2/539    most recent ajcn.2008.27026v1 Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Troesch, B. Articles by Zimmermann, M. B Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Troesch, B. Articles by Zimmermann, M. B Agricola Articles by Troesch, B. Articles by Zimmermann, M. B

Optimization of a phytase-containing micronutrient powder with low amounts of highly bioavailable iron for in-home fortification of complementary foods

¹ From the Laboratory for Human Nutrition, Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland (BT, IE, CZ, RFH, and MBZ); the World Food Program, Rome, Italy (SdP); the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA (SdP); and the Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands (MBZ).

² Supported by the Foundation Nutrition Industry (Basel, Switzerland), established by DSM Nutritional Products Ltd, and the ETH (Zürich, Switzerland).

³ Reprints not available. Address correspondence to B Troesch, Laboratory for Human Nutrition, ETHZ, Zürich ETH Zentrum, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, LFV D19.3, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland. E-mail: barbara.troesch{at}ilw.agrl.ethz.ch.

Background: In-home fortification of complementary foods with micronutrient powders containing low amounts of iron may be potentially safer than powders containing high amounts of iron. However, low iron doses have little nutritional effect, unless iron absorption is high.

Objective: The objective was to maximize iron absorption from a low-iron micronutrient powder for in-home fortification by testing combinations of iron as NaFeEDTA, ascorbic acid, and a microbial phytase active at gut pH. In addition, a recently proposed enhancer of iron absorption, L--glycerophosphocholine (GPC), was tested.

Design: In 6 separate iron-absorption studies using a crossover design, women (n = 101) consumed whole-maize porridge fortified with 3 mg stable isotope–labeled FeSO₄ or NaFeEDTA with different combinations of enhancers added to the meals at the time of consumption. Incorporation of iron isotopes into erythrocytes 14 d later was measured.

Results: The addition of phytase when iron was present as either NaFeEDTA or FeSO₄, with or without ascorbic acid, significantly increased iron absorption. The combined addition of phytase, ascorbic acid, and NaFeEDTA resulted in an absorption of 7.4%, compared with an absorption of 1.5% from FeSO₄ without enhancers in the same meal (P < 0.001). The addition of ascorbic acid did not significantly increase iron absorption from NaFeEDTA, and the addition of calcium did not significantly inhibit iron absorption from NaFeEDTA in the presence of ascorbic acid. The addition of L--glycerophosphocholine did not significantly increase iron absorption.

Conclusion: Optimization of the micronutrient powder increased iron absorption from a highly inhibitory meal 5-fold. This approach may allow for effective, untargeted in-home fortification of complementary foods with low amounts of highly bioavailable iron.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Verhoef and J. Veenemans Safety of iron-fortified foods in malaria-endemic areas Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2009; 89(6): 1949 - 1950. [Full Text] [PDF]