Absorption of iron from unmodified maize and genetically altered, low-phytate maize fortified with ferrous sulfate or sodium iron EDTA.
BACKGROUND
Reducing the phytate content in grains by genetic manipulation is a novel approach to increasing nonheme-iron absorption from mixed diets. Fractional iron absorption from a genetically modified strain of low-phytate maize (LPM) increased significantly, by 50%.


OBJECTIVE
We assessed iron absorption from porridges prepared from the same LPM (lpa-1-1 mutant) and unmodified wild-type maize (WTM), both of which were fortified with either ferrous sulfate or sodium iron EDTA.


METHODS
Porridges providing 3.4 mg Fe were fortified with either ferrous sulfate or sodium iron EDTA to provide an additional 1 mg Fe/serving. In 14 nonanemic women, iron absorption was measured as the amount of radioiron incorporated into red blood cells (extrinsic tag method) 12 d after consumption of the study diets.


RESULTS
No significant effect of phytate content on iron absorption was found when porridge was fortified with either sodium iron EDTA or ferrous sulfate. Fractional absorption of iron from WTM porridge fortified with sodium iron EDTA (5.73%) was 3.39 times greater than that from the same porridge fortified with ferrous sulfate (1.69%). Fractional absorption of iron from the sodium iron EDTA-fortified LPM porridge (5.40%) was 2.82 times greater than that from LPM porridge fortified with ferrous sulfate (1.91%) (P<0.0001 for both comparisons, repeated-measures analysis of variance). Thus, the previously identified benefit of LPM was no longer detectable when maize porridge was fortified with additional iron.


CONCLUSIONS
Iron was absorbed more efficiently when the fortificant was sodium iron EDTA rather than ferrous sulfate, regardless of the type of maize.
Mendoza
C
C
Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama, Guatemala City, Guatemala. cmendoza@ucdavis.edu
Viteri
F E
FE
Lönnerdal
B
B
Raboy
V
V
Young
K A
KA
Brown
K H
KH
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000517:prevention & control; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D010833:Phytic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D005290:Ferric Compounds; D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D019266:Iron, Dietary; C020748:ferrous sulfate; D010833:Phytic Acid; D004492:Edetic Acid; C019179:Fe(III)-EDTA