Predicting relative concentrations of bioavailable iron in foods using in vitro digestion: New developments

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 113; no. 2; pp. 602 - 607
• Main Authors: Argyri, K., Birba, A., Miller, D.D., Komaitis, M., Kapsokefalou, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15.03.2009; [Amsterdam]: Elsevier Science
• Subjects: chemical concentration; dialysis; Dialyzability; dietary minerals; food analysis; food composition; food matrix; In vitro digestion; iron; Iron bioavailability; model food systems; nutrient availability; prediction; rapid methods; Iron bioavailability; Dialyzability; In vitro digestion
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.07.089

In vitro methods have been developed for the prediction of iron bioavailability from foods and supplements. The dialyzability method measures dialyzable iron, released during a simulated gastrointestinal digestion, as an index of iron bioavailability. A new setup, that involves six-well plates and a ring insert that holds the dialysis membrane, is proposed for the application of the dialyzability method with the objective to increase efficiency and to allow testing small-volume samples. A series of solutions (water, ascorbic acid, and phytate), liquid foods (fresh milk and condensed milk), and solid foods (bread + meat meal, corn flakes), were tested in the presence or absence of added iron and digested with the new setup and the setup previously described for the dialyzability method. In both cases, percent dialyzable iron in each treatment remained similar ( P > 0.05). These results suggest that the new setup can be employed in future applications with similar food matrices of the dialyzability method.