Micronutrient sprinkles add more bioavailable iron to some Kenyan complementary foods: studies using an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture model.
Iron deficiency anaemia is arguably the most important public health problem in developing countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa, iron deficiency anaemia has largely been attributed to poor infant feeding practices where complementary foods low in iron bioavailability are offered to at-risk infants. Home fortification of complementary foods using micronutrient Sprinkles has been shown to reduce iron deficiency anaemia in many resource-poor settings. In this study, the benefit of using the micronutrient Sprinkles as a home fortificant for some Kenyan complementary foods was assessed using an in vitro Caco-2 cell model. In each case when micronutrient Sprinkles were added to the complementary food, the amount of Caco-2 cell ferritin formation increased. For example, the addition of Sprinkles to corn porridge increased ferritin formation 5-fold from 5.8 to 31.8 ng mg(-1). Therefore, as indicated by the results, micronutrient Sprinkles would be a suitable form of home fortification for Kenyan complementary foods. Their use should be encouraged so as to improve infant feeding practices in Kenya.
Lung'aho
Mercy G
MG
Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Glahn
Raymond P
RP
D001682:Biological Availability; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004063:Digestion; D005527:Food, Fortified / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food / Q000032:analysis; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007630:Kenya; D002365:Manihot; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D008897:Panicum; D045868:Sorghum; D003313:Zea mays
D018977:Micronutrients; D007501:Iron