Effect of iron status in rats on the absorption of metal ions from plant ferritin

Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2014 Jun;69(2):101-7. doi: 10.1007/s11130-014-0413-1.

Abstract

An isolate of lead-ferritin obtained from soybean seeds sprouted in 25 mM of PbNO3 was introduced into the diet of both iron-deficient and iron non-deficient male rats. After a 21-day administration period, statistical differences in the lead accumulation in the femurs of the rats were noted. Iron-deficient rats accumulated more than four times the amount of lead in their bones than rats without iron-deficiency. No further decrease was observed in haemoglobin concentrations in the groups of animals fed with lead isolates, either iron-deficient or iron non-deficient. Also, no differences in the mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were observed at the end of the experiment in the group of iron non-deficient rats fed with lead-ferritin isolate compared to the control group of iron non-deficient rats. In the iron-deficient group fed with lead-ferritin isolate, a small increase in haemoglobin concentrations, MCH, MCV and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentrations (MCHC) was recorded. The results presented in this paper confirm that lead from the tested preparation-lead ferritin isolate-was better absorbed by those rats with induced iron deficiency anaemia. Additionally, we may also suspect based on the obtained results that absorption of ferritin-iron depends on iron status in the body.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / diet therapy*
  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / drug therapy
  • Animals
  • Erythrocyte Indices / drug effects
  • Ferritins / isolation & purification
  • Ferritins / pharmacokinetics*
  • Glycine max / chemistry*
  • Hemoglobins / analysis
  • Intestinal Absorption
  • Iron / metabolism
  • Iron Deficiencies
  • Lead / analysis
  • Lead / pharmacokinetics
  • Male
  • Plant Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Plant Proteins / pharmacokinetics*
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Seeds / chemistry

Substances

  • Hemoglobins
  • Plant Proteins
  • Lead
  • Ferritins
  • Iron