Effects of cooking and food matrix on estimated mineral bioavailability in Mloukhiya, a Mediterranean dish based on jute leaves and meat

Domestic cooking effects on nutritional quality and phytochemical contents of zinc biofortified Lepidium sativum L. sprouts

The impact of the common cooking practices on the nutritional value and the antioxidant contents of Lepidium sativum zinc biofortified sprouts was assessed in the present investigation. Garden cress sprouts showed an increase of dry matter, ash, proteins, carbohydrates, sodium, iron and zinc contents according to the applied cooking process. Antinutrient and pigment contents (chlorophylls, carotenoids and anthocyans) were diminished by applying various cooking treatments. A significant drop of total phenolic (25.57 - 60.87%) and total flavonoid contents (58.04 - 71.86%), catechin hydrate (81.90 - 96.15%), sinapic acid (62.44 - 84.79%), myricitin (97.62 - 99.12%) and rutin (52.83 - 83.41%) was detected in cooked plant material. Nevertheless, cooking practices raised the caffeic acid contents by 21.97 to 29.74% and boil and steam cooking increased the chlorogenic acid amounts by 1.89% and 9.28%, respectively. Microwaving favored an improvement of the antioxidant performances. Overall, Microwaving permitted good nutrients retention along with the best antioxidant performances.

Efficacy of Pneumatophorus japonicus meat as an iron fortificant in whole-wheat flour in preventing iron deficiency

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a global health concern affecting one-third of the world's population, particularly those dominated by plant-based food. Fortifying staple foods with iron has been an effective strategy for preventing IDA. Pneumatophorus japonicus is an essential economic fish in China. Pneumatophorus japonicus dark meat is usually underutilized as a byproduct, though it contains bounteous nutrients, including heme iron (10.50 mg/100 g). This study aimed to investigate the iron bioavailability of P. japonicus dark meat and to evaluate its potential as an iron fortifier for whole-wheat flour, a typical staple food, using an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture system. Our results suggested the excellent iron bioavailability of P. japonicus dark meat in comparison with beef (a heme dietary iron reference), whole-wheat flour (a non-heme dietary iron reference), and FeSO₄ (a conventional iron supplement). The addition of P. japonicus dark meat notably enhanced iron solubility, bioavailability, and protein digestibility of whole-wheat flour. The flour-dark meat mixture yielded 1.96 times the iron bioavailability compared to beef per gram. The iron bioavailability was further improved by adding vitamin C, a commonly used dietary factor, at the Vc/iron mass ratio of 2:100-5:100. Our findings reveal the promise of P. japonicus dark meat as a significant source of bioavailable iron, providing a basis for developing fish byproducts as alternatives for iron supplementation. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study investigated the iron bioavailability of Pneumatophorus japonicus meat using in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture system. These results could be used to improve the utilization of Pneumatophorus japonicus byproduct (dark meat) and develop the potential of the byproduct as an iron fortifier for whole-wheat flour.

Effect of ascorbic acid and citric acid on bioavailability of iron from Tegillarca granosa via an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture system

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) has been receiving worldwide attention. Developing safe and effective iron supplements is of great significance for IDA treatment. Tegillarca granosa (T. granosa), a traditional aquaculture bivalve species in China, is considered to be an excellent source of micronutrients, but the distribution and bioavailability of these minerals have yet to be investigated. The present research was conducted to determine the contents and in vitro enzymatic digestibility of minerals in T. granosa, using beef and wheat flour as reference foods. Meanwhile, two iron-binding proteins, hemoglobin and ferritin, were extracted from T. granosa, and their structures, iron accessibility and bioavailability were investigated. Moreover, the effects of ascorbic acid (AA) and citric acid (CA), two commonly applied dietary factors, on these parameters were evaluated. Our results indicated that the mineral levels varied significantly among different food matrices, with T. granosa showing the highest contents of the tested elements. Comparison of iron absorption of meat versus wheat flour and hemoglobin versus ferritin confirmed that heme iron exhibited higher bioavailability than non-heme iron. The addition of the two organic acids notably enhanced the cellular iron uptake of T. granosa-derived proteins. This could be because AA/CA weakened hydrogen bonds within proteins and caused disordered secondary structures, thereby improving their enzymatic digestibility and releasing more soluble iron to be available for absorption. The results of this study provided a basis for the development of T. granosa-derived protein-based iron supplements, promoting the diverse utilization of marine aquatic resources.