title: Iron phosphate nanoparticles for food fortification: Biological effects in rats and human cell lines.
abstract: Nanotechnology offers new opportunities for providing health benefits in foods. Food fortification with iron phosphate nanoparticles (FePO4NPs) is a promising new approach to reducing iron deficiency because FePO4NPs combine high bioavailability with superior sensory performance in difficult to fortify foods. However, their safety remains largely untested. We fed rats for 90 days diets containing FePO4NPs at doses at which iron sulfate (FeSO4), a commonly used food fortificant, has been shown to induce adverse effects. Feeding did not result in signs of toxicity, including oxidative stress, organ damage, excess iron accumulation in organs or histological changes. These safety data were corroborated by evidence that NPs were taken up by human gastrointestinal cell lines without reducing cell viability or inducing oxidative stress. Our findings suggest FePO4NPs appear to be as safe for ingestion as FeSO4.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences and Technology , ETH Zürich , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lea M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: von Moos
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences and Technology , ETH Zürich , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences and Technology , ETH Zürich , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Florentine M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Hilty
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Veterinary Pathology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hilbe
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences and Technology , ETH Zürich , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Myrtha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences and Technology , ETH Zürich , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences and Technology , ETH Zürich , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Diogo Sales
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Mato
authors.affiliation: c Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.affiliation: d Energy and Environment Research Division , Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tarik
authors.affiliation: d Energy and Environment Research Division , Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) , Switzerland.|e E´cole Polytechnique Fe´de´rale de Lausanne (EPFL), ENAC-IIE , Lausanne , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.affiliation: c Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hanspeter
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Naegeli
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences and Technology , ETH Zürich , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Langhans
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences and Technology , ETH Zürich , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences and Technology , ETH Zürich , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Shana J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sturla
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences and Technology , ETH Zürich , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ioannis A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Trantakis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004032:Diet; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005527:Food, Fortified; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D019073:HT29 Cells; D006801:Humans; D019190:Iron Overload; D008297:Male; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; D005978:Glutathione; C035885:ferric phosphate
keywords: Iron phosphate nanoparticles; food fortification; in vitro; in vivo; nanotoxicology