Effect of phytase treatment on iron bioavailability in faba bean (Vicia faba L.) flour

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 134; no. 3; pp. 1251 - 1255
• Main Authors: Luo, Yuwei, Xie, Weihua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: 6-Phytase - administration & dosage; 6-Phytase - pharmacology; Animals; Bioavailability; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Availability; blood; Digestion; Faba bean; faba beans; Feeding. Feeding behavior; femur; Flour; Food Handling; Food industries; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; heart; hemoglobin; Iron; Iron - pharmacokinetics; iron absorption; kidneys; Male; Phytase; phytases; Rats; Rats, Wistar; soaking; sternum; Tissue Distribution; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vicia faba; Vicia faba - drug effects; Vicia faba - metabolism; Phytase; Iron; Bioavailability; Faba bean; Vegetables; Leguminosae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Flour; Vicia faba; Bean
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.03.082

► The digestive utilisation of iron increased significantly as a result of phytase treatment. ► The content of iron in the sternum would be a better indicator of bioavailability. ► Faba bean flour may be useful for the development of functional food. The effect of dephytinisation, using an exogenous phytase under optimal conditions (pH 5.5, 37°C), and subsequent removal of the soaking solution after processing, on the bioavailability of iron from faba bean (Vicia faba L.) flour was studied. Soaking of the faba bean flour led to a considerable reduction in the content of iron (39%), whereas a lower reduction in iron content (10%), was obtained after additional treatment with phytase, than in the soaked faba bean flour. The digestive utilisation of iron from the raw and soaked faba bean flours by growing rats was negligible, but increased significantly as a result of phytase treatment. The low iron absorption obtained for the former two treatments, during an experimental period of 10days, was not reflected in any of the haematological indices (red blood count, haemoglobin, haematocrit) or tissues (femur, heart, kidney) studied, with the exception of the sternum. The latter appears to be a useful indicator of iron bioavailability.