title: There is no 'Conundrum' of InsP6.
abstract: Indirect assays have claimed to quantify phytate (InsP6) levels in human biofluids, but these have been based on the initial assumption that InsP6 is there, an assumption that our more direct assays disprove. We have shown that InsP6 does not and cannot (because of the presence of an active InsP6 phosphatase in serum) exist in mammalian serum or urine. Therefore, any physiological effects of dietary InsP6 can only be due either to its actions in the gut as a polyvalent cation chelator, or to inositol generated by its dephosphorylation by gut microflora.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK rfi20@cam.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Robin F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Irvine
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK Department of Haematology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK.
authors.forename: Simon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bulley
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Miranda S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK dmcbado@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saiardi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007295:Inositol Phosphates / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010833:Phytic Acid / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D007295:Inositol Phosphates; D010833:Phytic Acid