Bioavailability of Microencapsulated Iron from Fortified Bread Assessed Using Piglet Model

Area of Science:

• Animal Nutrition
• Biochemistry
• Hematology

Background:

• Anemia is a prevalent issue in young piglets, impacting their growth and health.
• Oral iron supplementation is crucial for addressing iron deficiency in livestock.
• Fortified foods offer a potential delivery method for essential nutrients like iron.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of iron-fortified breads in anemic piglets.
• To assess the impact of encapsulated versus non-encapsulated ferrous sulfate in fortified bread.
• To investigate the effects on growth, hematology, iron status, and fecal metabolome.

Main Methods:

• A controlled study involving 24 anemic piglets.
• Supplementation with experimental breads fortified with ferrous sulfate (encapsulated or not) for seven days.
• Analysis of hematological parameters, iron concentrations in tissues, and gene expression.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant improvements in hematological parameters were observed.
• Higher iron concentrations were found in the heart, liver, and intestinal mucosa of piglets fed fortified breads.
• No significant differences in hepcidin, ferroportin, DMT1 gene expression, or plasma ferritin levels were noted.
• Microencapsulation had a minor effect on iron bioavailability over the seven-day period.

Conclusions:

• Fortified breads serve as effective sources of bioavailable iron for anemic piglets.
• Short-term iron supplementation via fortified bread positively impacts iron status.
• Further research may explore longer-term effects and optimal microencapsulation strategies.