NaFeEDTA Fortified Soy Sauce Showed Higher Iron Absorption Rate in Chinese Females

Objective NaFeEDTA was considered as a promising iron fortificant for controlling iron deficiency anemia. Soy sauce is a suitable food carder for iron fortification and is a popular condiment in China. Iron absorption rates of NaFeEDTA and FeSO4 were observed and compared in adult female subjects. Methods The stable isotope tracer method was used in Chinese females consuming a typical Chinese diet. Ten healthy young Chinese women were selected as subjects in the 15-day study. A plant-based diet was used based on the dietary pattern of adult women in the 1992 National Nutrition Survey. Six milligram of 54Fe in 54FeSO4 soy sauce and 3 mg 5SFe in NaSSFeEDTA soy sauce were given to the same subjects in two days. Food samples and fecal samples were collected and analyzed. Results Iron absorption rates of NaFeEDTA and FeSO4 were 10.51%：~：2.83 and 4.73%＋2.15 respectively. The 5SFe （NaFeEDTA） absorption was significantly higher than that of 54Fe （FeSO4） （P〈0.01）. The iron absorption rate from NaFeEDTA was 1.2 times higher than that from FeSO4 in Chinese adult women consuming a typical Chinese diet. Conclusion The higher absorption rate of NaFeEDTA suggested that NaFeEDTA would be a better iron fortificant used in soy sauce for the controlling of iron deficiency anemia in China.

Effects of extracellular iron concentration on calcium absorption and relationship between Ca^(2+) and cell apoptosis in Caco-2 cells

AIM: To determine the method of growing small intestinal epithelial cells in short-term primary culture and to investigate the effect of extracellular iron concentration ([Fe3+]) on calcium absorption and the relationship between the rising intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) and cell apoptosis in human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells. METHODS: Primary culture was used for growing small intestinal epithelial cells. [Ca2+]i was detected by a confocal laser scanning microscope. The changes in [Ca2+]i were represented by fluorescence intensity (FI). The apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Isolation of epithelial cells and preservation of its three-dimensional integrity were achieved using the digestion technique of a mixture of collagenase Ⅺ and dispase Ⅰ. Purification of the epithelial cells was facilitated by using a simple differential sedimentation method. The results showed that proliferation of normal gut epithelium in vitro was initially dependent upon the maintenance of structural integrity of the tissue. If 0.25% trypsin was used for digestion, the cells were severely damaged and very difficult to stick to the Petri dish for growing. The Fe3+ chelating agent desferrioxamine (100, 200 and 300 μmol/L) increased the FI of Caco-2 cells from 27.50±13.18 (control, n = 150) to 35.71±13.99 (n = 150, P<0.01), 72.19±35.40 (n = 150, P<0.01) and 211.34±29.03 (n = 150,P<0.01) in a concentration-dependent manner. There was a significant decrease in the FI of Caco-2 cells treated by ferric ammonium citrate (FAC, a Fe3+ donor; 10, 50 and 100 μmol/L). The FI value of Caco-2 cells treated by FAC was 185.85±33.77 (n = 150, P<0.01), 122.73±58.47 (n = 150, P<0.01), and 53.29±19.82 (n= 150,P<0.01), respectively, suggesting that calcium absorption was influenced by [Fe3+]. Calcium ionophore A23187(0.1,1.0 and 10 μmol/L) increased the FI of Caco-2 cells from 40.45±13.95 (control, n = 150) to 45.19±21.95 (n = 150, P<0.01), 89.87±43.29 (n = 150, P<0.01) and 104.64±51.07 (n = 150,P<0.01) in a concentration-dependent manner. The positive apoptotic cell number of the Caco-2 cells after being treated with A23187 increased from 0.32% to 0.69%, 0.90% and 1.10%, indicating that the increase in the positive apoptotic cell number was positively correlated with [Ca2+]i. CONCLUSION: Ca2+ absorbability is increased with the decrease of extracellular iron concentration Fe3+ and hindered with the increase of Fe3+ consistence out of them. Furthermore, increase of [Ca2+]i can induce apoptosis in Caco-2 cells.

Liver-gut axis in the regulation of iron homeostasis

The human body requires about 1-2 mg of iron per day for its normal functioning, and dietary iron is the only source for this essential metal. Since humans do not possess a mechanism for the active excretion of iron, the amount of iron in the body is determined by the amount absorbed across the proximal small intestine and, consequently, intestinal iron absorption is a highly regulated process. In recent years, the liver has emerged as a central regulator of both iron absorption and iron release from other tissues. It achieves this by secreting a peptide hormone called hepcidin that acts on the small intestinal epithelium and other cells to limit iron delivery to the plasma. Hepcidin itself is regulated in response to various systemic stimuli including variations in body iron stores, the rate of erythropoiesis, inflammation and hypoxia, the same stimuli that have been known for many years to modulate iron absorption. This review will summarize recent findings on the role played by the liver and hepcidin in the regulation of body iron absorption.

Estimation of Iron Physiological Requirement in Chinese Children using Single Stable Isotope Tracer Technique

Objective This study is to obtain precise data on iron physiological requirements in Chinese children using single stable isotope tracertechnique.Methods Thirty boys(10.6±0.2 years)and 27 girls(10.4±0.2 years)were received oral 6 mg ^(57)Fe each day for 5 consecutive days.Venous blood samples were subsequently drawn to examine the change of total iron concentration and ^(57)Fe abundance at day 0,14,28,60,90,180,360,450,540,630,720.The iron physiological requirement was calculated by iron loss combined with iron circulation rate once ^(57)Fe abundance stabilized in human body.Results The iron physiological requirement was significantly lower in boys than those values in girls(16.88±7.12 vs.18.40±8.81μg/kg per day,P<0.05).Correspondingly,the values were calculated as 722.46±8.43μg/day for boys and 708.40±7.55μg/day for girls,respectively.Considering nearly 10%iron absorption rate,the estimated average iron physiological requirement was 6.0 mg/day in boys and 6.2 mg/day in girls.Conclusion This study indicate that iron physiological requirement could require more daily iron intake in girls as compare with the values in boys having the same body weight.These findings would be facilitate to the new revised dietary reference intakes.

Acupuncture Improves Intestinal Absorption of Iron in Iron-deficient Obese Patients： A Randomized Controlled Preliminary Trial

Background： Obesity has an adverse effect on iron status. Hepcidin-mediated inhibition of iron absorption in the duodenum is a potential mechanism. Iron-deficient obese patients have diminished response to oral iron therapy. This study was designed to assess whether acupuncture could promote the efficacy of oral iron supplementation for the treatment of obesity-related iron deficiency （ID）. Methods： Sixty ID or ID anemia （IDA） patients with obesity were screened at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and were randomly allocated to receive either oral iron replacement allied with acupuncture weight loss treatment （acupuncture group, n = 30） or oral iron combined with sham-acupuncture treatment （control group, n = 30）. Anthropometric parameters were measured and blood samples were tested pre- and post-treatment. DitTerences in the treatment outcomes of ID/IDA were compared between the two groups. Results： After 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment, there was a significant decrease in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist/hip circumference ratio of patients in the acupuncture group, while no significant changes were observed in the control group. Oral iron supplementation brought more obvious improvements of iron status indicators including absolute increases in serum iron （11.08 ± 2.19 μmol/L vs. 4.43 ± 0.47 μmol/L）, transferrin saturation （ 11.26 ± 1.65% vs. 1.01 ± 0.23%）, and hemoglobin （31.47 ±1. 19 g/L vs. 21.00 ± 2.69 g/L） in the acupuncture group than control group （all P 〈 0.05）. Meanwhile, serum leptin （2.26 ± 0.45 ng/ml vs. 8.13 ± 0.55 ng/ml, P 〈 0.05） and hepcidin （3.52 ± 1.23 ng/ml vs. 6.77 ± 0.84 ng/ml, P 〈 0.05） concentrations declined significantly in the acupuncture group than those in the control group. Conclusion： Acupuncture-based weight loss can enhance the therapeutic effects of iron replacement therapy for obesity-related ID/IDA through improving intestinal iron absorption, probably by downregulating the systemic leptin-hepcidin levels.

Effect of environmental factors on the complexation of iron and humic acid

A method of size exclusion chromatography coupled with ultraviolet spectrophotometry and off-line graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was developed to assess the complexation properties of iron（Fe） and humic acid（HA） in a water environment. The factors affecting the complexation of Fe and HA, such as ionic strength, pH, temperature and UV radiation, were investigated. The Fe–HA complex residence time was also studied. Experimental results showed that pH could influence the deprotonation of HA and hydrolysis of Fe, and thus affected the complexation of Fe and HA. The complexation was greatly disrupted by the presence of NaCl. Temperature had some influence on the complexation. The yield of Fe–HA complexes showed a small decrease at high levels of UV radiation, but the effect of UV radiation on Fe–HA complex formation at natural levels could be neglected. It took about 10 hr for the complexation to reach equilibrium, and the Fe–HA complex residence time was about 20 hr.Complexation of Fe and HA reached a maximum level under the conditions of pH 6, very low ionic strength, in the dark and at a water temperature of about 25°C, for 10 hr. It was suggested that the Fe–HA complex could form mainly in freshwater bodies and reach high levels in the warm season with mild sunlight radiation. With changing environmental parameters, such as at lower temperature in winter or higher pH and ionic strength in an estuary, the concentration of the Fe–HA complex would decrease.