Iron is an essential element for all living organisms. It is a key functional component of oxygen transporting and storage molecules and of many enzymes. It is well established that the bioavailability of non-heam iron from foods is enhanced by the presence of meat. Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) is found in millimolar concentrations in the skeletal muscle and brain of animals. Carnosine was reported to act as natural antioxidants with hydroxyl-radical-scavenging and lipid-peroxidase activities. Thus, to investigate the effects of carnosine for the absorption of iron, we determined the change of serum iron concentration in rats administered ferrous sulfate and carnosine using cannulation system. We further determined the effect of carnosine for the gastric secretion in rats. The serum iron concentration in rats administered with ferrous sulfate in the presence of carnosine was significantly higher than that in rats administered with ferrous sulfate after treatment for 15 min. Furthermore, the carnosine-administered rats exhibited a significant increase in pepsine activity and output. These results suggest that carnosine may facilitate the velocity of iron absorption by enhancing iron solubility.
