Iron phosphate nanoparticles for food fortification: Biological effects in rats and human cell lines

• Published in: Nanotoxicology Vol. 11; no. 4; pp. 496 - 506
• Main Authors: von Moos, Lea M., Schneider, Mirjam, Hilty, Florentine M., Hilbe, Monika, Arnold, Myrtha, Ziegler, Nathalie, Mato, Diogo Sales, Winkler, Hans, Tarik, Mohamed, Ludwig, Christian, Naegeli, Hanspeter, Langhans, Wolfgang, Zimmermann, Michael B., Sturla, Shana J., Trantakis, Ioannis A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 01-05-2017; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Animals; Bioavailability; Biological Availability; Biological effects; Biotechnology; Cell lines; Cell Survival - drug effects; Damage accumulation; Diet; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Feeding; Ferric Compounds - administration & dosage; Ferric Compounds - adverse effects; Ferric Compounds - metabolism; Food; Food fortification; Food, Fortified; Glutathione - metabolism; HT29 Cells; Humans; in vitro; in vivo; Ingestion; Iron; Iron deficiency; Iron Overload; Iron phosphate nanoparticles; Male; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - administration & dosage; Nanoparticles - adverse effects; Nanoparticles - metabolism; Nanotechnology; nanotoxicology; Nutrient deficiency; Organs; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Phosphates; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rodents; Safety; Side effects; Sulfates; Toxicity; in vivo; food fortification; Iron phosphate nanoparticles; in vitro; nanotoxicology
• ISSN: 1743-5390; 1743-5404
• DOI: 10.1080/17435390.2017.1314035

Nanotechnology offers new opportunities for providing health benefits in foods. Food fortification with iron phosphate nanoparticles (FePO
4
NPs) is a promising new approach to reducing iron deficiency because FePO
4
NPs 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 FePO
4
NPs at doses at which iron sulfate (FeSO
4
), 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 FePO
4
NPs appear to be as safe for ingestion as FeSO
4
.