Study on iron availability from prepared soybean sprouts using an iron-deficient rat model

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 135; no. 4; pp. 2622 - 2627
• Main Authors: Zielińska-Dawidziak, Magdalena, Hertig, Iwona, Piasecka-Kwiatkowska, Dorota, Staniek, Halina, Nowak, Krzysztof W., Twardowski, Tomasz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15-12-2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - diet therapy; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - metabolism; Animals; Biofortification; Biological and medical sciences; Dietary Supplements - analysis; Disease Models, Animal; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Ferritin; Ferritins - administration & dosage; Food industries; Food supplementation; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Germination; Glycine max - chemistry; Glycine max - growth & development; Glycine max - metabolism; Humans; Iron - pharmacokinetics; Iron sources; Male; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Seeds - chemistry; Seeds - growth & development; Seeds - metabolism; Sprouted seeds; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Biofortification; Iron sources; Sprouted seeds; Ferritin; Food supplementation; Rat; Rodentia; Iron; Soybean; Feeding; Grain legume; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Models; Supplementation; Food
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.06.113

► High accumulation of ferritin was achieved during germination of soybean and lupin seeds in FeSO4 solution. ► Powdered sprouted seeds, isolates of ferritin and FeSO4 were compared as a source of iron for supplementation. ► Each of the examined preparations induced regression of iron deficiency anaemia in rats. ► The administration of powdered sprouts resulted in efficient rebuilding of iron stores in the liver.
During soya seeds germination in FeSO4 solutions their phytoferritin content is multiplied. Prepared soybean sprouts have been proposed as a safe and easily available source of iron supplementation. The preparation was compared with FeSO4 and ferritin isolates, using rats with induced iron deficiency anaemia. After the end of the 2-week supplementation experiment, it was observed that no statistically significant differences in haemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration existed between those animals supplemented with sprouts enriched in ferritin, ferritin isolate and FeSO4 and healthy animals forming the control group. Moreover, the examined preparation had a beneficial influence on the recreation of ferritin reserves in both the liver and the blood serum, and also did not induce negative alterations in general growth parameters of animals. Use of an easily obtainable ferritin iron source may be a profitable alternative in supplementation due to its wide availability and food preservative properties.