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.

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.