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Iron bioavailability from maize‐based diets fed to iron deficient broiler chickens
Author(s) -
Tako Elad,
Lung'aho Mercy,
Kochian Leon V,
Hoekenga Owen A,
Glahn Raymond P
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.208.8
Subject(s) - bioavailability , biofortification , broiler , ferroportin , hemoglobin , chemistry , zoology , ferritin , food science , absorption (acoustics) , biology , biochemistry , micronutrient , metabolism , pharmacology , iron homeostasis , physics , organic chemistry , acoustics
Iron biofortification is a strategy that alleviates Fe deficieny by improving staple crops, such as maize (Zea mays). Using a Caco2 cell model, two maize varieties were developed for high and low Fe bioavailability. In vitro observations should be tested in animals prior to human efficacy studies. We tested bioavailable Fe in our maize varieties using the broiler chicken as a model. Diets were made with 75% w/w maize of either the low (“Low”) or high (“High”) Fe bioavailability maize; Fe content was not different (both 24 μg/g). In vitro analysis showed lower ferritin formation (ie. Fe uptake, P<0.05) in cells exposed to the “Low” (20 ng/mg) vs. “High” (37 ng/mg) diets. Chicks (n=6) were fed the maize based diets for 4 weeks. Hemoglobin (Hb), body weight, feed consumption and gene expression were measured. Duodenal DMT1, Dcytb and ferroportin were higher (P<0.05) in the “Low” group vs. the “High” group, indicating adaptation to the “Low” diet. Hb concentrations, hemoglobin maintenance efficiency, Hb‐Fe and liver ferritin were higher in the “High“ group vs. the “Low” group (P<0.05), indicating greater Fe absorption from the diet and improved Fe status. We conclude that the in vivo results support the in vitro observations, ie. the “High” variety contains more bioavailable Fe than the ”Low” and that maize shows promise for Fe biofortification.