title: Total iron absorption by young women from iron-biofortified pearl millet composite meals is double that from regular millet meals but less than that from post-harvest iron-fortified millet meals.
abstract: Iron biofortification of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a promising approach to combat iron deficiency (ID) in the millet-consuming communities of developing countries. To evaluate the potential of iron-biofortified millet to provide additional bioavailable iron compared with regular millet and post-harvest iron-fortified millet, an iron absorption study was conducted in 20 Beninese women with marginal iron status. Composite test meals consisting of millet paste based on regular-iron, iron-biofortified, or post-harvest iron-fortified pearl millet flour accompanied by a leafy vegetable sauce or an okra sauce were fed as multiple meals for 5 d. Iron absorption was measured as erythrocyte incorporation of stable iron isotopes. Fractional iron absorption from test meals based on regular-iron millet (7.5%) did not differ from iron-biofortified millet meals (7.5%; P = 1.0), resulting in a higher quantity of total iron absorbed from the meals based on iron-biofortified millet (1125 vs. 527 μg; P < 0.0001). Fractional iron absorption from post-harvest iron-fortified millet meals (10.4%) was higher than from regular-iron and iron-biofortified millet meals (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively), resulting in a higher quantity of total iron absorbed from the post-harvest iron-fortified millet meals (1500 μg; P < 0.0001 and P < 0.05, respectively). Results indicate that consumption of iron-biofortified millet would double the amount of iron absorbed and, although fractional absorption of iron from biofortification is less than that from fortification, iron-biofortified millet should be highly effective in combatting ID in millet-consuming populations.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. ccolin@ethz.ch
authors.forename: Colin I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Cercamondi
authors.forename: Ines M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Egli
authors.forename: Evariste
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mitchikpe
authors.forename: Felicien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tossou
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zeder
authors.forename: Joseph D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hounhouigan
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hurrell
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000178:diet therapy*; D001541:Benin; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D005433:Flour / Q000032:analysis; D005527:Food, Fortified / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007503:Iron Isotopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D031782:Pennisetum / Q000737:chemistry*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007503:Iron Isotopes; D007501:Iron