Abstract
The bioavailability of iron is described from a ferric complex of 3-epi-hydroxymugineic acid (epi-HMA), a ferric-specific ligand which works in plants. Epi-HMA is a mugineic acid analogue which dramatically enhances iron absorption in gramineous plants. The retention of 59Fe in the whole body on day 1 after dosing 59Fe(III)-epi-HMA in the stomach of anemic rats was 78.3%, while that of rats given 59FeSO4 was 95.9%. Thereafter, the retention of both groups decreased slowly at approximately the same rate, and the rates on day 9 were 63.3 and 70.6%, respectively, a difference which was not significant. The distribution of 59Fe among the organs and tissues of rats administered with 59Fe(III)-epi-HMA was similar to that of 59FeSO4. A study on intraduodenal dosing of 59Fe(III)-epi-HMA suggested that most of the ferric complex of epi-HMA had dissociated into Fe(III) and epi-HMA in the stomach before transfer to the duodenum, and that subsequent absorption of Fe(II) occurred in the intestine. These results indicate that iron from a ferric complex of epi-HMA, like iron from FeSO4, was effectively incorporated into tissues and metabolized, therefore implying that ferric complexes of analogues of mugineic acid could be useful as a new iron fortificant for foods.
