QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Walter, T. Articles by Olivares, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Walter, T. Articles by Olivares, M.

---

Community and International Nutrition
Research Communication

Iron Bioavailability in Corn-Masa Tortillas Is Improved by the Addition of Disodium EDTA¹

Micronutrient Laboratory and Hematology Unit, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile, Santiago, POB 138–11, Chile

²To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed. E-mail: twalter{at}uec.inta.cl.

Corn-masa flour flat bread tortillas are the main staple of Mexican and Central American populations. Due to high concentrations of inhibitors of iron absorption, the bioavailability from this matrix is unknown. We wanted to determine the most suitable fortificant that would efficaciously improve iron bioavailability. In tortillas prepared with commercial precooked, lime-treated, corn-masa flour, we examined the in vitro solubility of the following forms of iron: native iron with and without Na₂EDTA, elemental reduced iron plus Na₂EDTA, ferrous fumarate with and without Na₂EDTA, bisglycine iron, ferrous sulfate and NaFeEDTA. We also examined the in vivo bioavailability in humans with double radioiron erythrocyte incorporation of ferrous fumarate with and without Na₂EDTA, bisglycine iron, NaFeEDTA and native iron plus Na₂EDTA, beans and rice. In vitro, solubility ranged from 1% in iron forms without Na₂EDTA to 19.4% for NaFeEDTA. Forms of iron with Na₂EDTA had intermediate values. In vivo radioiron studies showed that iron forms without Na₂EDTA also had low bioavailability (1%). NaFeEDTA had the highest bioavailability (5.3%). The bioavailability of all iron forms improved significantly when tested with Na₂EDTA (<0.05). Adding Na₂EDTA to ferrous fumarate increased bioavailability from 0.87% to 2.9% (P < 0.001). We conclude that NaFeEDTA is the form of iron best absorbed, but alternatively, ferrous fumarate plus Na₂EDTA comprises a feasible option as a fortificant.

KEY WORDS: • iron fortification • iron bioavailability • corn-masa flour • NaFeEDTA • Na₂EDTA

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. C Hamner, J. Mulinare, M. E Cogswell, A. L Flores, C. A Boyle, C. E Prue, C.-Y. Wang, A. L Carriquiry, and O. Devine Predicted contribution of folic acid fortification of corn masa flour to the usual folic acid intake for the US population: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2004 Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2009; 89(1): 305 - 315. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C M. Schooling, S. Y. Ho, G. M Leung, G N. Thomas, S. M McGhee, K. H. Mak, and T. H. Lam Diet synergies and mortality--a population-based case-control study of 32 462 Hong Kong Chinese older adults Int. J. Epidemiol., April 1, 2006; 35(2): 418 - 426. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. C. Fidler and L. Davidsson The Effect of Na2EDTA on Iron Absorption from Ferrous Fumarate J. Nutr., May 1, 2004; 134(5): 1201 - 1201. [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Walter, F. Pizarro, E. Boy, and S. A. Abrams The Poor Bioavailability of Elemental Iron in Corn Masa Flour Is Not Affected by Disodium EDTA J. Nutr., February 1, 2004; 134(2): 380 - 383. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]