Several human interventions have indicated that Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (L. plantarum 299v) increases intestinal iron absorption. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible effects of L. plantarum 299v on the mechanisms of iron absorption on the cellular level. We have previously shown that lactic fermentation of vegetables increased iron absorption in humans. It was revealed that the level of ferric iron [Fe (H₂O)₅]2+ was increased after fermentation. Therefore, we used voltammetry to measure the oxidation state of iron in simulated gastrointestinal digested oat and mango drinks and capsule meals containing L. plantarum 299v. We also exposed human intestinal co-cultures of enterocytes and goblet cells (Caco-2/HT29 MTX) to the supplements in order to study the effect on proteins possibly involved (MUC5AC, DCYTB, DMT1, and ferritin). We detected an increase in ferric iron in the digested meals and drinks containing L. plantarum 299v. In the intestinal cell model, we observed that the ferric reductase DCYTB increased in the presence of L. plantarum 299v, while the production of mucin (MUC5AC) decreased independently of L. plantarum 299v. In conclusion, the data suggest that the effect of L. plantarum 299v on iron metabolism is mediated through driving the Fe3+/DCYTB axis.
Keywords: DCYTB; DMT1; DSM9843; Lactobacillus plantarum 299v; MUC5AC; iron.