Inclusion of ancient Latin-American crops in bread formulation improves intestinal iron absorption and modulates inflammatory markers

Food Funct. 2016 Feb;7(2):1096-102. doi: 10.1039/c5fo01197c.

Abstract

This study compares iron (Fe) absorption in Fe-deficient animals from bread formulations prepared by substitution of white wheat flour (WB) by whole wheat flour (WWB), amaranth flour (Amaranthus hypochondriacus, 25%) (AB) and quinoa flour (Chenopodium quinoa, 25%) (QB), or chia flour (Salvia hispanica L, 5%) (ChB). Hematological parameters of Fe homeostasis, plasmatic active hepcidin peptide production (LC coupled to Ms/Ms), and liver TfR-2 and IL-6 expression (RT-qPCR) were determined. The different bread formulations increased Fe content between 14% and 83% relative to white bread. Only animals fed with WWB, AB and ChB increased haemoglobin concentrations significantly. Feeding the different bread formulations did not increase hepcidin levels, but down-regulated transferrin receptor 2 (TfR2) (apart from WWB) and IL-6 (apart from QB) expression levels. Only AB and ChB had a significant influence on Fe bioavailability at the investigated level of substitution. The potential contribution of these flours would not differ considerably from that of WWB.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amaranthus / chemistry
  • Animals
  • Biological Availability
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Bread / analysis*
  • Chenopodium quinoa / chemistry
  • Female
  • Flour / analysis
  • Hemoglobins / metabolism
  • Hepcidins / blood
  • Interleukin-6 / genetics
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
  • Intestinal Absorption / drug effects*
  • Iron, Dietary / administration & dosage
  • Iron, Dietary / analysis
  • Iron, Dietary / pharmacokinetics*
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Phytic Acid / administration & dosage
  • Phytic Acid / analysis
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptors, Transferrin / genetics
  • Receptors, Transferrin / metabolism
  • Salvia / chemistry
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • Triticum / chemistry
  • Whole Grains / chemistry

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Hemoglobins
  • Hepcidins
  • Interleukin-6
  • Iron, Dietary
  • Receptors, Transferrin
  • Tfr2 protein, rat
  • Phytic Acid