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Quantification of unlabelled non-haem iron absorption in human subjects: a pilot study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Jack R. Dainty ,
Mark A. Roe ,
Birgit Teucher ,
John Eagles  and
Susan J. Fairweather-Tait
Jack R. Dainty*
Affiliation:
Institute of Food Research, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
Mark A. Roe
Affiliation:
Institute of Food Research, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
Birgit Teucher
Affiliation:
Institute of Food Research, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
John Eagles
Affiliation:
Institute of Food Research, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
Susan J. Fairweather-Tait
Affiliation:
Institute of Food Research, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
*
*Corresponding author:Dr Jack Dainty, fax +44 1603 507723, email [email protected]
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Abstract

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A method for measuring unlabelled Fe absorption has been investigated in a pilot study using a simple mathematical model. The metabolism of newly absorbed Fe can be approximated as a single-compartment model with the sampled compartment being the plasma pool. Five female volunteers (aged 30–55 years) were recruited to participate in the pilot study. After a 10 mg oral dose of unlabelled ferrous sulfate, the change in plasma Fe concentration over the following 6 h was used to estimate the quantity of absorbed Fe from the mathematical model. To assess the accuracy of the new technique, a 1 mg oral dose of 57Fe-labelled iron sulfate was given simultaneously with a 225 μg intravenous dose of 58Fe as iron citrate. The plasma appearance of the labelled Fe was used to estimate the absorption of the oral label from the traditional area under the curve method. There was no significant difference (P=0·61) between the geometric mean absorption of the unlabelled (19 (- 1 sd 12, +1 sd 28) %) and the labelled Fe (17 (- 1 sd 10, +1 sd 29) %). These initial results are encouraging, but further work needs to be undertaken with smaller doses, as typically found in meals. The effect of diurnal variation in serum Fe concentration on the estimation of unlabelled Fe absorption needs further assessment.

Keywords

IronMathematical modelsKinetics
Type
Short communication
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 90 , Issue 3 , September 2003 , pp. 503 - 506
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2003

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