title: Pectin with low molecular weight and high degree of esterification increases absorption of 58Fe in growing rats.
abstract: Effects of pectins with different degrees of esterification (DE) and molecular weights (MW) on iron bioavailability were investigated in healthy growing rats by following erythrocyte incorporation of a dose of 58Fe. Rats were fed a control diet for 8 d and then deprived of food for 16 h. Two hours after the start of feeding iron-deficient diets, with or without pectin (80 g/kg diet), a dose of FeSO4 rich in 58Fe (60.28%) was intubated into the stomach; rats were then allowed to feed for an additional 4 h before withdrawal of food for 10 h. Rats were then fed iron-adequate diets for 9 d. The pectins differed in DE and MW, respectively, as follows: P-A (73%, 860,000), P-B (75%, 89,000), P-C (22%, 1,260,000) and P-D (24%, 114,000). Rats fed pectin-free diet with free access to food or restricted to the same quantity consumed by a respective pectin group served as controls. Iron absorption was 48% in the control group and 57% in rats fed P-B. Rats fed P-B had higher (P 2 < or = 0.05) serum iron, transferrin saturation, hematocrit and liver and spleen iron than the control group or the group fed P-C. These indices, except for transferrin saturation, were also higher In rats fed P-A and P-D compared with those fed P-C and controls, but to a lesser extent than in rats fed P-B. The data indicate that bioavailability of dietary non-heme iron was enhanced when pectin of low MW and high DE was added to the diet. This improvement was not evident with pectins having high MW and/or low DE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Atallah
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Amarasiriwardena
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption / Q000187:drug effects; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D004032:Diet; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D004951:Esterification; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007503:Iron Isotopes; D008297:Male; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010368:Pectins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D007503:Iron Isotopes; D010368:Pectins; D007501:Iron