title: Replacing electrolytic iron in a fortification-mix with NaFeEDTA increases both iron and zinc availabilities in traditional African maize porridges.
abstract: While replacing electrolytic iron with NaFeEDTA in multi-micronutrient fortification-mixes is a popular option, there is no information about the effect on the iron and zinc availabilities in African staple foods. This study evaluated the effects of adding a multi-micronutrient fortification-mix, with no iron, electrolytic iron or NaFeEDTA on the availabilities of iron and zinc from thick and fermented special-grade maize porridges using a Caco-2 cell model. Replacing electrolytic iron with NaFeEDTA significantly (p ⩽ 0.05) increased iron and, importantly zinc, availabilities in both the thick (2.16% vs. 1.45% and 2.51% vs. 2.29%, respectively) and fermented (3.35% vs. 2.66% and 3.04% vs. 2.61%, respectively) porridges. Some of the NaFeEDTA complexes perhaps partially dissociated because of pH changes during simulated digestion, binding with zinc and increasing its availability. NaFeEDTA in a multi-micronutrient fortification-mix, added to less refined, high phytate maize meal, would be more effective than electrolytic iron in addressing both iron and zinc deficiencies in low socio-economic populations of sub-Saharan Africa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Institute for Food, Nutrition and Well-being, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa. Electronic address: johanita.kruger@up.ac.za.
authors.forename: Johanita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kruger
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D001682:Biological Availability; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000032:analysis*; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000032:analysis; D010833:Phytic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D018977:Micronutrients; D010833:Phytic Acid; D004492:Edetic Acid; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc; C019179:Fe(III)-EDTA
keywords: Caco-2 cell uptake; Ferric sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (PubChem CID: 30716); Fortification; Iron (PubChem CID: 23925); Maize porridge; NaFeEDTA; Phytate (PubChem CID: 890); Zinc; Zinc oxide (PubChem CID: 14806)