Stabilized-solubilized ferric pyrophosphate as a new iron source for food fortification. Bioavailability studies by means of the prophylactic-preventive method in rats.

The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the iron bioavailability of a new ferric pyrophosphate salt stabilized and solubilized with glycine. The prophylactic-preventive test in rats, using ferrous sulfate as the reference standard, was applied as the evaluating methodology both using water and yogurt as vehicles. Fifty female Sprague-Dawley rats weaned were randomized into five different groups (group 1: FeSO(4); group 2: pyr; group 3: FeSO(4) + yogurt; group 4: pyr + yogurt and group 5: control). The iron bioavailability (BioFe) of each compound was calculated using the formula proposed by Dutra-de-Oliveira et al. where BioFe % = (HbFef - HbFei) x 100/ToFeIn. Finally, the iron bioavailability results of each iron source were also given as relative biological value (RBV) using ferrous sulfate as the reference standard. The results showed that both BioFe % and RBV % of the new iron source tested is similar to that of the reference standard independently of the vehicle employed for the fortification procedure (FeSO(4) 49.46 +/- 12.0% and 100%; Pyr 52.66 +/- 15.02% and 106%; FeSO(4) + yogurth 54.39 +/- 13.92% and 110%; Pyr + yogurt 61.97 +/- 13.54% and 125%; Control 25.30 +/- 6.60, p < 0.05). Therefore, the stabilized and soluble ferric pyrophosphate may be considered as an optimal iron source for food fortification.

Detection of Helicobacter and Campylobacter spp. from the aquatic environment of marine mammals.

The mechanism by which Helicobacter species are transmitted remains unclear. To examine the possible role of environmental transmission in marine mammals, we sought the presence of Helicobacter spp. and non-Helicobacter bacteria within the order Campylobacterales in water from the aquatic environment of marine mammals, and in fish otoliths regurgitated by dolphins. Water was collected from six pools, two inhabited by dolphins and four inhabited by seals. Regurgitated otoliths were collected from the bottom of dolphins' pools. Samples were evaluated by culture, PCR and DNA sequence analysis. Sequences from dolphins' water and from regurgitated otoliths clustered with 99.8-100% homology with sequences from gastric fluids, dental plaque and saliva from dolphins living in those pools, and with 99.5% homology with H. cetorum. Sequences from seals' water clustered with 99.5% homology with a sequence amplified from a Northern sea lion (AY203900). Control PCR on source water for the pools and from otoliths dissected from feeder fish were negative. The findings of Helicobacter spp. DNA in the aquatic environment suggests that contaminated water from regurgitated fish otoliths and perhaps other tissues may play a role in Helicobacter transmission among marine mammals.

Infección por Helicobacter pylori (13C-UBT) y factores nutricionales y socioeconómicos asociados en escolares de estratos bajos de la ciudad de Valencia. Venezuela / Helicobacter pylori infection (13C-UBT) and its relationship with nutritional and socioeconomic factors in low income school children from Valencia venezuela

La infección con Helicobacter pylori (Hp) está altamente diseminada a nivel mundial y es considerada una de las causas principales de gastritis crónica, úlceras pépticas y duodenales y cáncer gástrico. Trabajos recientes han mostrado que esta puede tener implicaciones nutricionales, principalmente sobre el estado de hierro y otros micronutrientes. El objetivo fue evaluar la prevalencia de infección con Hp y el patrón de infección según edad, sexo, estado nutricional y condiciones socioeconómicas, en niños que asistían a Unidad Educativa "Valentín Espinal" de Valencia. Se evaluaron 170 niños entre 3 y 14 años de edad, de ambos géneros. Se determinó: Infección por Hp (test de aliento con urea-C13), edad, estado nutricional según IMC y Talla-Edad, hemoglobina (cianometahemoglobina), ferritina sérica (ELISA), estrato socioeconómico (Graffar-Méndez-Castellano), condición de vivienda, número de personas y familias que viven en el hogar y calidad de los servicios. El 78,8 por ciento de los niños estaban infectados con Hp, no encontrándose correlación significativa con el género pero si con la edad; 25,9 por ciento presentaron déficit nutricional y 46,5 por ciento talla baja, El 98,1 por ciento de las familias se encontraban en situación de pobreza (estratos IV y V) y 98 por ciento de las viviendas presentaban deficiencias sanitarias; En promedio vivían 6,0±2,4 personas en el hogar (rango: 2 a 15) y 3,2 personas compartían un mismo dormitorio. Se encontró que la probabilidad de infección era mayor en aquellos niños que presentaban déficit de talla y que el estrato socioeconómico, el nivel de instrucción materno, las precarias condiciones de alojamiento y el hacinamiento se asociaban significativamente a la infección. La deprivación socioeconómica en la niñez esta asociada con una alta colonización del Hp, la edad, el hacinamiento y un bajo nivel de instrucción de la madre pueden aumentar el riesgo a esta infección

Dietary zinc effects on zinc, calcium, and magnesium content in bones of growing rats.

The aim of the present study was to assess dietary zinc effects on femur weight and mineral content in growing rats. For this purpose, 70 weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups. Each group was subject to a diet containing 2 (BZ), 5 (DZ), 10 (MZ), and 30 (CZ) ppm zinc. The calcium and magnesium content in all diets was 5 g/kg and 507 mg/kg, respectively. The animals were kept on this regime for 28 d and then sacrificed and their femurs were removed for analysis using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The weights of the BZ and DZ groups were significantly different from the MZ and CZ groups (38.5+/-10.5, 89.9+/-13.7, 118.6+/-13.6, and 134+/-19.9 g, p<0.01) respectively. There were no differences between the MZ and CZ groups. Femur weight also varied with dietary zinc, as it was significantly different among all groups (BZ, 265+/-49 mg; DZ, 380+/-40 mg; MZ, 452+/-54 mg; CZ, 735+/-66 mg; p<0.01). The femur zinc content varied with diets, following a different pattern than the above parameters. Femur zinc from the BZ group (51.5+/-5.4 ppm) was significantly different from the MZ and CZ groups (115.9+/-14.2 and 175.0+/-13.5 ppm, respectively), whereas the DZ group (62.5+/-11.3 ppm) did not differ from the other three groups. The femur content of calcium (BZ, 83.2+/-9.8 mg/g; DZ, 88.0+/-9.2 mg/g; MZ, 90.2+/-13.6 mg/g; CZ, 83.1+/-14.7 mg/g) and magnesium (BZ, 1.82+/-0.13 mg/g; DZ, 1.98+/-0.09 mg/g; MZ, 1.93+/-14 mg/g; CZ, 1.83+/-0.19 mg/g) were not significantly different among the groups, nor was the calcium-magnesium ratio. These results suggest that although dietary zinc deficiency retards growth and causes bone fragility, bone deposition of calcium and magnesium and its ratio are not affected.

Iron bioavailability from fortified fluid milk and petit suisse cheese determined by the prophylactic-preventive method.

In this research, we measure the iron bioavailability of micronized ferric orthophosphate when it is used to fortify low-fat fluid milk enriched with calcium and petit suisse cheese using the prophylactic-preventive method in rats. Four groups of male weaned rats received a basal diet (control diet; 6.5 ppm Fe), a reference standard diet (SO4Fe; 18.2 ppm Fe), a basal diet using iron-fortified fluid milk as the iron source (milk diet; Fe ppm 17.9), and a basal diet using iron-fortified petit suisse cheese as the iron source (cheese diet; 18.0 ppm Fe) for 22 d. The iron bioavailability of the different sources was calculated as the ratio between the mass of iron incorporated into hemoglobin during the experiment and the total iron intake per animal. The relative biological values with regard to the reference standard (RBV%) were 61% and 69% for the milk and cheese diet, respectively. These results show that according to this method, the iron bioavailability in both fortified foods can be considered as medium bioavailability rates.

Iron bioavailability from fortified petit suisse cheese determined by the prophylactic-preventive method.

In this research, we measured the iron bioavailability of ferrous gluconate stabilized with glycine (SFG) when it is used to fortify petit suisse cheese using the prophylactic-preventive method in rats. Three groups of male, weaned rats received a basal diet (control diet; 5.2 ppm Fe), a reference standard diet (SO4Fe; 9.2 ppm Fe), and a basal diet using iron-fortified petit suisse cheese as the iron source (cheese diet; 8.8 ppm Fe) for 22 d. The iron bioavailability was calculated as the ratio between the mass of iron incorporated into hemoglobin and the total iron intake per animal during the treatment. These values (BioFe) were 68% and 72% for SFG and ferrous sulfate, respectively. The value of the Relative Biological Value (RBV) was 95% for SFG in petit suisse cheese. These results show that according to this method, the iron bioavailability from industrial fortified petit suisse cheese can be considered as a high bioavailability rate.

[Helicobacter pylori infection (13C-UBT), and its relationship with nutritional and socioeconomic factors in low income school children from Valencia, Venezuela]. / Infección por helicobacter pylori (13C-UBT) y factores nutricionales y socioeconómicos asociados en escolares de estratos bajos de la ciudad de Valencia, Venezuela.

Helicobacter pylori infection (Hp) is widely spread around the world, and it is considered one of the main causes of chronic gastritis, peptic and duodenal ulcers, and gastric cancer. Recent research has shown that it can be associated with nutritional disorders, mainly with iron and other micronutrient deficiencies. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of Hp infection, and infection pattern according to age, sex, nutritional status, and socioeconomic conditions in children who attended the Unidad Educativa "Valentin Espinal" in the city of Valencia. 170 children, between 3 and 14 years of age were studied to assess Hpylori infection (13C-urea breath test), age, nutritional status according to BMI and Height for age, hemoglobin (cianometahemoglobin), serum ferritin (ELISA), socioeconomic status (Graffar-Méndez-Castellano), housing conditions, number of families and of people cohabitating in the same household, and quality of services. 78.8% of the children were infected with Hp, witch was significantly correlated with age but not gender. 25.9% of the sample had undernutrition, and 46.5% were stunted. 98.1% of the families lived in poverty, and 98% of the households showed sanitary deficiencies. A mean of 6.0 +/- 2.4 persons lived in each household (range: 2-15), and an average of 3.2 person shared bedrooms. The odds of being infected were higher in those children who were stunted. Also, socioeconomic status, mother's education level, and poor hosing conditions were significantly associated to being infected. Hpylori is highly prevalent among socially and economically deprived children, and age, overcrowding, and a low education level of the mother increases the risk of being infected.

Nutritional and technological behavior of stabilized iron-gluconate in wheat flour.

Food fortification has been shown to be an effective strategy to overcome iron malnutrition. When a new iron compound is developed for this purpose, it must be evaluated from a nutritional and technological point of view before adding it into foods. In this way, we have evaluated ferrous gluconate stabilized by glycine as a new iron source to be used in wheat flour fortification. We performed biological studies in rats as well as sensory perceptions by human subjects in wheat flour fortified with this iron source. The productions of pentane as a rancidity indicator as well as the change of the sensorial properties of the biscuits made with stabilized ferrous gluconate-fortified wheat flour were negligible. Iron absorption in water from this iron source was similar to the reference standard ferrous sulfate. Nevertheless, because of the phytic acid content, iron absorption from fortified wheat flour decrease 40% for both iron sources. The addition of zinc from different sources did not modify iron absorption from ferrous sulfate and stabilized ferrous gluconate in water and wheat flour. The iron absorption mechanism as well as the biodistribution studies demonstrate that the biological behavior of this iron source does not differ significantly from the reference standard. These results demonstrate that the iron source under study has adequate properties to be used in wheat flour fortification. Nevertheless, more research is needed before considering this iron source for its massive use in food fortification.

Determination of relative bioavailability of zinc in a petit suisse cheese using weight gain and bone zinc content in rats as markers.

The aim of the study was to determine the relative bioavailability of zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine in a Petit Suisse cheese from an infant dessert. Weight gain and bone zinc content were the nutritional responses evaluated for the diets of different zinc content: 2 ppm (basal) and 5, 10, and 30 ppm from zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine and zinc sulfate. Nonlinear regression analysis of the fitted curves for weight gain determined a relative zinc bioavailability of 100% for the Ymax ratio and 96% for Ymax/t1/2 ratio for zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine (R2=0.7996 for zinc sulfate and 0.8665 for zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine). The slope ratio analysis from linear regression of femur zinc determined a relative zinc bioavailability of 93% for zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine (R2=0.8693 for zinc sulfate and 0.8307 for zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine). Zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine has similar bioavailability as zinc sulfate in a Petit Suisse cheese nutritional matrix, with the advantage that the stabilized compound does not modify the sensorial characteristics of the fortified cheese.

Normal growth rate in rats is recovered after a period of zinc deficiency by restoration of zinc supply by means of a zinc-fortified Petit Suisse cheese.

Fortification of a Petit Suisse cheese with zinc sulfate and zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine was used as a tool to overcome zinc-deficiency effects on total-body growth and skeletal growth. Animals were divided in 4 groups of 10 rats: basal (B), control (C), depletion-repletion 1 (DR1), and depletion-repletion 2 (DR2). These four groups were fed with four diets: basal (2 ppm Zn), control (30 ppm Zn), DR1, and DR2; they received a basal diet for 14 d and a control diet for the other 14 d of the experiment, using zinc sulfate for DR1 and zinc gluconate stabilized with glycine for DR2. After 28 d of the experiment, total-body weight and weight gain of the control and DR1 and DR2 animals were not statistically different (p<0.05), Femur weight and femur zinc content of DR1 and DR2 did not achieve the values of control animals (p<0.05), but they were higher than that of basal animals. Our results show that restoration of dietary zinc levels by means of food fortification normalized weight gain, as an indicator of total-body growth, and presented a trend to normalize bone weight, as a marker of skeletal growth, in young rats and independently of the zinc source used.

In vivo iron and zinc deficiency diminished T- and B-selective mitogen stimulation of murine lymphoid cells through protein kinase C-mediated mechanism.

Zinc and iron are crucial mineral components of human diet, because their deficiency leads to several disorders, including alterations of the immune function. It has been demonstrated, in both humans and rodents, that a diminished number of lymphoid cells and a loss of lymphocyte activity accompany deprivation of these essential minerals. The aim of this work was to analyze if iron and/or zinc imbalances regulate lymphocyte activity and the intracellular signals involved in the effect. Mice from the BALB/c strain were fed with iron- and/or zinc-deficient or mineral-supplemented diets, according to the American Institute of Nutrition Rodent Diets. Levels of iron and zinc were assessed in blood, liver, or bone samples. Selective mitogen stimulation of T- and B-lymphocytes were performed. We found a diminished proliferative response in T- and B-lymphocytes from zinc- and/or iron-deficient animals with respect to controls. These effects were related to decreased mitogen-induced translocation of protein kinase C (PKC) activity to cell membranes on both cell types from all animals fed with deficient diets. Our results demonstrate that iron and zinc deficiencies affect both T- and B-lymphocyte function by PKC-dependent mechanisms.

Review article: is there a link between micronutrient malnutrition and Helicobacter pylori infection?

Helicobacter pylori causes a chronic gastric infection, which is usually life-long. Many epidemiological studies have shown that this is probably one of the most common bacterial infections throughout the world involving 30% of the population living in developed countries and up to 80-90% of the population in developing regions. Concomitantly, developing regions also have high prevalence of micronutrient malnutrition. In the last few years, some studies have suggested that H. pylori infection may affect the homeostasis of different micronutrients including iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, alpha-tocopherol, vitamin C and beta-carotene. In this article, we discuss the current scientific information of the effect that H. pylori infection may produce on micronutrient malnutrition.

Zinc deficiency and growth: current concepts in relationship to two important points: intellectual and sexual development.

Zinc deficiency remains a serious health problem worldwide affecting developed as well as developing countries. Despite the evidence proving that zinc deprivation during the periods of rapid growth negatively affects the cognitive brain as well as sexual development, there are few complete studies carried out in children. The present article proposes a revision of the evidence gathered until now on the relationship existing between zinc deficiency and intellectual and sexual development during the stages of childhood, preadolescence, and adolescence.

The usefulness of stable isotopes in nutrition and human health: the application of mass spectrometry and 13C-breath tests to detect helicobacter pylori infection.

The interest in Helicobacter pylori has escalated in recent years. H. pylori may produce a chronic gastric infection which is usually life-long and many epidemiological studies have shown that this is the most common bacterial infection throughout the world involving 50% of the world population. Thus, it is clear that the diagnosis of H. pylori infection represents at least a key step in the management of many of the patients referred to the gastroenterologist. Additionally, due to the wide range and relevance of pathologies possibly related to this infection, from micronutrient malnutrition and co-infections to malignancies, there is the potential for H. pylori to be a major health problem. Improved methods for the diagnosis and follow up treatment of the infection have been developed. Use of stable isotopes as non-invasive and safe diagnostic methods, namely (13C) breath tests, has been the key to a new era of research in H. pylori epidemiology and diagnosis as well as the establishment of eradication therapies. This non-invasive nuclear technique, that is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of this bacterial infection, has successfully been standardized and implemented along Latin America. Taking into account the high prevalence of this bacterial infection, the impact of this technique in the whole region is very high. In this article we discuss several aspects of this methodology in order to harmonize the application of this method in developing regions.

Metabolismo del hierro: conceptos actuales sobre un micronutriente esencial / Iron metabolism: current concepts of an essential micronutrient

Iron is an essential micronutrient involved in multiple biochemical and physiological process. In this review we discuss the most relevant aspect of its metabolism in order to reach a better comprehension of the relevant roll that this micronutrient plays in human health.

Evaluation of different formulations to label exogenous natural surfactant labeled with (99m-Tc-ENS): stability and toxicity studies

El surfactante natural exógeno (ENS) marcado con 99mTc (99mTc-ENS) es un nuevo agente ventilatorio para la centellografía aérea pulmonar. Con el fin de elegir una formulación estable de ENS para ser marcado rutinariamente con 99mTc en Centros de Medicina Nuclear, las propiedades de dos formulaciones (ENS + cloruro estannoso + ácido gentísico y ENS + cloruro estannoso + ácido ascórbico) y una formulación control liofiolizada del ENS fueron analizadas mensualmente por un período de 12 meses. Sus propiedades fisicoquímicas, sus porcentajes de marcación y sus distribuciones biológicas fueron adecuadas durante este período. La formulación ENS + cloruro estannoso + ácido gentísico presenta la menor dispersión en los resultados de biodistribución, por lo cual esta formulación fue elegida para la futura producción de 99mTc-ENS. El estudio de toxicidad aguda de esta última formulación demostró que la dosis tóxica es al menos 1000 veces mayor que la dosis diagnóstica

Zinc and diabetes mellitus: is there a need of zinc supplementation in diabetes mellitus patients?

Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders, the incidence of which varies widely throughout the world. The treatment of diabetes mellitus includes insulin, oral antidiabetic agents, and dietary regimens. Although the emphasis is on macronutrients intakes, there is strong evidence that there is an abnormal metabolism of several micronutrients in diabetic individuals. Zinc is one of the essential micronutrients of which status and metabolism is altered in this condition. This work is a short review about the close relation among zinc, glucose metabolism, and insulin physiology, as well as about the few experimental data about zinc absorption and zinc supplementation in diabetes mellitus patients.

Bioavailability studies of a new iron source by means of the prophylactic-preventive method in rats.

The bioavailability of iron from a new commercial source containing ferric gluconate stabilized with glycine sold under the trade name Bioferrico was studied in this work by means of the prophylactic-preventive test in rats. NaFeEDTA was also studied by the same methodology for comparative purposes and ferrous sulfate was used as the reference standard. The test was conducted for 4 wk with male weaned rats, which were randomized into four groups of at least eight animals each. A control group received a basal diet of low-iron content, whereas the other groups received the same diet with iron added at a dose of 20 mg/kg as FeSO4.7H2O, NaFeEDTA, and Bioferrico, respectively. Individual hemoglobin concentrations (HbC) and weights were determined at the beginning and at the end of the study and food intake was daily registered. The iron bioavailability (BioFe) of each source was calculated as the ratio between the amount of iron incorporated into hemoglobin during the treatment (HbFe) and the total iron intake per animal (ToFeIn). A relative biological value (RBV) was obtained for each iron source under study as the ratio between the BioFe of the tested compound and that of the reference standard. The RBVs were 98% and 86% for Bioferrico and NaFeEDTA, respectively. Bioferrico showed a high bioavailability and behaved inertly in relation to the sensorial properties of the fortified food when it was added to flour. These qualities emphasize Bioferrico as a promising source for iron fortification.

Bioavailability study of dried microencapsulated ferrous sulfate--SFE 171--by means of the prophylactic-preventive method.

Microencapsulated ferrous sulfate with soy lecithin (SFE-171) has been used as an iron source for the fortification of milk and dairy products. With the purpose to extend the use of this agent to other kind of foods or even to pharmaceutical preparations for oral administration, the SFE-171 was turned into a fluid powder (SFE-171-P) by means of vacuum drying. The iron bioavailability (BioFe) of SFE-171-P was evaluated in this work by means of the prophylactic-preventive method in rats, using ferrous sulfate as reference standard. Both iron sources were separately added to a basal diet of low iron content in a concentration of 10 mg iron/kg diet. Two groups of 10 weaned rats 25 days old received the fortified diets during 28 days, while a third group of the same size received the basal diet without iron additions. The weights and haemoglobin concentrations (HbC) of every animal were determined before and after the treatment, thus allowing the calculation of the mass of iron incorporated into haemoglobin (HbFe) during this period. The BioFe of the iron sources were obtained as the percentage ratio between the HbFe and the mass of iron consumed by each animal. The results were also given as Relative Biological Value (RBV), which relates the BioFe of the studied source with that of the reference standard. The liver iron concentration (LIC) of each animal was determined at the end of the experiment in order to evaLuate the influence of the studied iron sources on the liver iron stores. SFE-171-P presented BioFe, RBV and LIC values of (47 +/- 7)%, 109% and (46.6 +/- 3.4) mg/kg respectively, while the corresponding values for the reference standard were of (43 +/- 7)%, 100% and (45.0 +/- 4.7) mg/kg. These results show that the drying process used to produce the SFE-171-P does not affect its bioavailability, which is also adequate for the potential use of this product in food fortification or with pharmaceutical purposes.