title: Iron from nanocompounds containing iron and zinc is highly bioavailable in rats without tissue accumulation.
abstract: Effective iron fortification of foods is difficult, because water-soluble compounds that are well absorbed, such as ferrous sulphate (FeSO(4)), often cause unacceptable changes in the colour or taste of foods. Poorly water-soluble compounds, on the other hand, cause fewer sensory changes, but are not well absorbed. Here, we show that poorly water-soluble nanosized Fe and Fe/Zn compounds (specific surface area approximately 190 m(2) g(-1)) made by scalable flame aerosol technology have in vivo iron bioavailability in rats comparable to FeSO(4) and cause less colour change in reactive food matrices than conventional iron fortificants. The addition of Zn to FePO(4) and Mg to Fe/Zn oxide increases Fe absorption from the compounds, and doping with Mg also improves their colour. After feeding rats with nanostructured iron-containing compounds, no stainable Fe was detected in their gut wall, gut-associated lymphatics or other tissues, suggesting no adverse effects. Nanosizing of poorly water-soluble Fe compounds sharply increases their absorption and nutritional value.
authors.affiliation: Human Nutrition Laboratory, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Florentine M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Hilty
authors.forename: Myrtha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hilbe
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teleki
authors.forename: Jesper T N
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Knijnenburg
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ehrensperger
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hurrell
authors.forename: Sotiris E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Pratsinis
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Langhans
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D003116:Color; D004572:Electrolysis; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009928:Organ Specificity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012995:Solubility; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D015430:Weight Gain; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc