Research evaluates mineral supplement to combat anemia

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Agência FAPESP* –By José Tadeu Arantes


Agência FAPESP – A mineral supplement made from common, low-cost raw materials may mean that, within five years, enough iron will be available for those lacking the nutrient. 
 
The new product is one of the possible applications of a research project recently concluded by Maria Teresa Bertoldo Pacheco and her team at the Brazilian National Institute of Food Technology (ITAL) Center for Food Chemistry and Applied Nutrition, with FAPESP funding. 
 
The potential benefits are numerous. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that in Brazil, 21% of all children under five, 43% of pregnant women and 23% of child-rearing age women (who lose iron on a regular basis because of menstruation) suffer from some degree of iron deficiency. 
 
“We tested two common and inexpensive sources: milk whey and sugarcane yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The proteins from each source were hydrolyzed, meaning that they were ‘cut’ with different enzymes,” said Pacheco.
 
“The resulting peptides (protein fragments) were ultrafiltered to obtain pieces with a mass of less than 5 kDa (five kilodaltons). These fragments were used in a chelation reaction with iron in the form of ferrous sulfate (FeSO4),” Pacheco explained. 
 
Chelation involves the bonding an iron ion to more than one radical of the peptide. “The chelating peptides were isolated and sent to the Centro de Investigación de Alimentos in Madrid to sequence the amino acids present,” she said. 
 
Pacheco said that for the resulting product to be ideal as a food supplement, the iron chelation has to be strong but not too strong. “It has to be strong enough to guarantee the stability of the compound during its passage through the digestive tract, which is characterized by the stomach’s acidic pH. But it can’t be so strong that it doesn’t release the iron when it reaches the enterocytes of the intestinal membrane so that the iron can be absorbed,” she said. 
 
New studies
 
The strength of the bonds is a decisive factor, as it determines the bioavailability of the mineral. Many iron-rich foods are not being useful to humans because of their low bioavailability. 
 
It’s not enough that the iron is present; the body also has to be able to absorb it. “In general, very small amounts are absorbed. Because of the oxidizing and toxic potential of iron, organisms have natural defense mechanisms to limit its assimilation,” said Pacheco.
 
According to the ITAL researchers, the results obtained with hydrolyzed proteins from whey were favorable. But the hydrolyzed proteins from yeast showed less capacity for iron chelation (in this group, the protein hydrolyzed with the Viscozyme enzyme showed the greatest bioavailability of the bonded iron).
 
“This is probably due to the fact that these proteins are less pure materials, which are contaminated by polysaccharides from the cell wall,” she said. 
 
Given the potential of whey, the next step is to test the bioavailability of the material in cells such as CACO 2 cells, which simulate the physiological and metabolic behavior of the human intestinal lining, and then in animals. 
 
“If we identify a peptide with high bioavailability, we will be able to synthesize it from its amino acid components,” affirmed Pacheco.

<p><b>By José Tadeu Arantes</b></p>
<div><b><br />
</b></div>
<div><b>Agência FAPESP </b>– A mineral supplement made from common, low-cost raw materials may mean that, within five years, enough iron will be available for those lacking the nutrient. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The new product is one of the possible applications of a research project recently concluded by Maria Teresa Bertoldo Pacheco and her team at the Brazilian National Institute of Food Technology (ITAL) Center for Food Chemistry and Applied Nutrition, with <b><a href="http://www.bv.fapesp.br/en/auxilios/28085/development-mineral-supplements-based-peptides/" target="_blank">FAPESP funding</a></b>. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The potential benefits are numerous. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that in Brazil, 21% of all children under five, 43% of pregnant women and 23% of child-rearing age women (who lose iron on a regular basis because of menstruation) suffer from some degree of iron deficiency. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“We tested two common and inexpensive sources: milk whey and sugarcane yeast (<i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>). The proteins from each source were hydrolyzed, meaning that they were ‘cut’ with different enzymes,” said Pacheco.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>“The resulting peptides (protein fragments) were ultrafiltered to obtain pieces with a mass of less than 5 kDa (five kilodaltons). These fragments were used in a chelation reaction with iron in the form of ferrous sulfate (FeSO4),” Pacheco explained. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Chelation involves the bonding an iron ion to more than one radical of the peptide. “The chelating peptides were isolated and sent to the Centro de Investigación de Alimentos in Madrid to sequence the amino acids present,” she said. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Pacheco said that for the resulting product to be ideal as a food supplement, the iron chelation has to be strong but not too strong. “It has to be strong enough to guarantee the stability of the compound during its passage through the digestive tract, which is characterized by the stomach’s acidic pH. But it can’t be so strong that it doesn’t release the iron when it reaches the enterocytes of the intestinal membrane so that the iron can be absorbed,” she said. </div>
<div> </div>
<div><b>New studies</b><br />
 </div>
<div>The strength of the bonds is a decisive factor, as it determines the bioavailability of the mineral. Many iron-rich foods are not being useful to humans because of their low bioavailability. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>It’s not enough that the iron is present; the body also has to be able to absorb it. “In general, very small amounts are absorbed. Because of the oxidizing and toxic potential of iron, organisms have natural defense mechanisms to limit its assimilation,” said Pacheco.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>According to the ITAL researchers, the results obtained with hydrolyzed proteins from whey were favorable. But the hydrolyzed proteins from yeast showed less capacity for iron chelation (in this group, the protein hydrolyzed with the Viscozyme enzyme showed the greatest bioavailability of the bonded iron).</div>
<div> </div>
<div>“This is probably due to the fact that these proteins are less pure materials, which are contaminated by polysaccharides from the cell wall,” she said. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Given the potential of whey, the next step is to test the bioavailability of the material in cells such as CACO 2 cells, which simulate the physiological and metabolic behavior of the human intestinal lining, and then in animals. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“If we identify a peptide with high bioavailability, we will be able to synthesize it from its amino acid components,” affirmed Pacheco.</div>
<div> </div>