title: Changing the zinc:iron ratio in a cereal-based nutritional supplement has no effect on percent absorption of iron and zinc in Sri Lankan children.
abstract: The Thriposha programme is a community-level nutrition intervention in Sri Lanka that provides a combination of energy, protein and micronutrients as a 'ready-to-eat' cereal-based food. We measured the bioavailability of Fe and Zn from Thriposha formula at two different molar ratios of Zn:Fe in order to determine the effect on Fe and Zn absorption. Children 4-7 years (n 53) were given a meal prepared with 50 g Thriposha containing 1.5 mg Zn as zinc sulphate and either 9 mg (high Fe concentration (HiFe)) or 4.5 mg (low Fe concentration (LoFe)) Fe as ferrous fumarate. Zn and Fe percent absorption were measured using stable isotopes by tracer:tracee ratio and by incorporation of erythrocytes, respectively. Percent Fe absorption from the two meals was similar (6.6 % (4.8) v. 4.8 % (2.6); P = 0.15), but total Fe absorption was significantly higher from the HiFe meal (0.59 (0.43) mg) than the LoFe meal (0.20 (0.12) mg; P = 0.01). There was no significant difference between the two groups in Zn absorption (10.7 % (0.9) v. 8.8 % (1.4), P = 0.13, respectively). Decreasing the amount of Fe in Thriposha did not cause a significant change in the percent absorption of Fe and Zn, but significantly lowered the total amount of absorbed Fe. These results demonstrate the utility of maintaining a higher Fe content in this supplement. Further studies to increase Zn content are warranted while maintaining a HiFe.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, PO Box 70, Karapitiya, Galle, Sri Lanka. manjula.hettiarachchi@gmail.com
authors.forename: Manjula
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hettiarachchi
authors.forename: Chandrani
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liyanage
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hilmers
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Abrams
mesh_terms: D001682:Biological Availability; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D002523:Edible Grain; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007554:Isotopes; D008297:Male; D013188:Sri Lanka; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D019287:Zinc Sulfate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D007554:Isotopes; D014131:Trace Elements; D019287:Zinc Sulfate; C031621:ferrous fumarate