Bioaccessibility of minerals in combinations of biofortified foods with Fe, Zn and vitamin A

Initiatives to improve the nutritional quality of staple foods, such as beans and cassava by bio fortification should be encouraged as an alternative to overcome the deficiencies of iron and vitamin A. The evaluation of the bio accessibility of the minerals in these foods is also important, since the composition of nutrients does not necessarily correspond to the amount absorbed and metabolized in the body. Thus, the present work aims to evaluate the bio accessibility of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in the presence of β-carotene in combinations of bio fortified food sources of Fe and Zn (cowpea cooked with and without maceration: CM/CW, respectively) and β-carotene (cooked cassava and cassava flour: CC/CF, respectively). The mixtures, after cooking, were analyzed for the centesimal composition and minerals, phytates, the percentage of iron and zinc bio accessibility by in vitro method and molar ratio. The mixtures presented significant amounts of proteins, carbohydrates and fibers. The β-carotene content showed no statistical difference in processing methods. The Fe content showed lower levels in the controls with cassava flour and its bio accessibility was also lower for treatment with cassava flour with CM, while for Zn or higher content it was used for treatment CW/CF, differing only from the treatment CW/CC, although their bio accessibilities were not different, except to iron in CMCC treatment. Both the IP6 fraction and the IP5 fraction did not show a significant difference (p > 0.05) between the treatments, it suggests no interference in bio accessibility. A diet rich in iron and vitamin A in adequate amounts with minimal content of absorption inhibitors can be effective in controlling iron deficiency. Bio fortified mixtures must be encouraged in different forms of consumption.

Cultivars of biofortified cowpea and sweet potato: Bioavailability of iron and interaction with vitamin A in vivo and in vitro

The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction of pro-vitamin A-rich sweet potato on iron bioavailability of biofortified cowpeas, using in vitro Caco-2 cells and in vivo depletion-repletion rat model. Mixtures of conventional rice with cultivars of iron-biofortified (Aracê, Xiquexique, and Tumucumaque) or conventional (Guariba) cowpeas with or without sweet potato biofortified with pro-vitamin A carotenoids were evaluated. The ratio of ferritin/total protein in Caco-2 cells was used as the index of cellular Fe uptake in the in vitro assay. The animal study evaluated the hemoglobin gain, the relative biological value, and the gene expression of transferrin and ferritin proteins by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In the in vitro study, Xiquexique cowpea presented higher bioavailability of iron in the absence of sweet potato, and no difference was observed between the other cultivars of cowpea with and without sweet potato. The in vivo bioavailability (relative biological value of hemoglobin regeneration efficiency) differed statistically only between Guariba groups added to sweet potato and Tumucumaque. Ferritin mRNA expression did not differ between the test and control (ferrous sulfate) groups. Regarding the transferrin mRNA expression, there was a difference between the test and control groups except for the Xiquexique group. The association of rice and beans with sweet potato rich in carotenoids favored the gene expression of proteins involved in the iron metabolism, as well as its bioavailability, corroborating beneficial effects of this mixture. Xiquexique cowpea was shown to be the most promising compared to the other cultivars, exhibiting higher iron content in the digestible fraction, better in vitro bioavailability of iron, and transferrin gene expression. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Data from the study indicated greater in vitro bioavailability of iron for Xiquexique cowpea and sweet potato mixtures, in addition to the greater regeneration efficiency of hemoglobin in vivo as the bioavailability of iron among biofortified beans, highlighting the promising benefits of biofortification.

Fe and Zn in vitro bioavailability in relation to antinutritional factors in biofortified beans subjected to different processes

The present work evaluated the effect of different processes in relation to mineral content and its bioavailability, as well as the effect of phytate and oxalate contents in biofortified beans. The following treatments were evaluated: raw beans (RB), cooked and oven-dried soaked beans (BOS), cooked and freeze-dried soaked beans (BFS), cooked and oven-dried beans without soaking (BOWS) and cooked and freeze-dried beans without soaking (BFWS). The mineral contents (mg per 100 g) varied between 3.56 and 5.80 (iron), 20.26 and 89.32 (calcium) and 1.56 and 2.38 (zinc). The oxalate content varied from 3.74 to 10.54 mg per 100 g. The total phytate content ranged from 1803.23 to 2.301 mg per 100 g. Regarding mineral bioavailability in Caco-2 cells, iron retention ranged from 8.89 to 17.85% and uptake was from 12.07 to 13.74 μg. On the other hand, the zinc retention was from 92.27 to 98.6% and uptake ranged from 24.68 to 36.26 μg. The different forms of bean processing can contribute to the mineral profile of this legume, in addition to increasing the bioavailability of some minerals, such as iron and zinc.

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of two bean cultivars (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) submitted to cooking

Abstract The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a source of nutrients and contains phenolic compounds that act as antioxidants. The aim of the present study was to determine the phenolic compounds and tannins in two bean cultivars (Phaseolus vulgaris L.): the biofortified carioca bean (Pontal) and the common bean (commercial). The antioxidant activity of the phenolic compounds and their fractions was also measured using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) methods. The thermal processing decreased the phenolic compounds, tannins and the antioxidant activity of beans. The Pontal cultivar exhibited higher levels of phenolic compounds even after cooking. For cooked beans, higher antioxidant activity was observed in the commercial beans by the DPPH method. Regarding to the fractions, in general, lower values of antioxidant activity by DPPH were observed for beans after cooking, except for fraction 6 of the Pontal bean and fraction 3 of the commercial bean. For fraction 4 no significant differences were observed by the ABTS method for both cultivars after thermal processing.

Effect of thermal processing and maceration on the antioxidant activity of white beans

Phenolic compounds, which naturally occur in beans, are known to have antioxidant activity, which may be partially lost during the processing of this legume. This study evaluated the effect of thermal processing and maceration on the phenolic acid and flavonoids profile and content and on the antioxidant activity of white beans. According to the results obtained from the 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) method, there were no significant differences among treatment groups analysed. When was using 1,1-diphenyl-2-pycrylhydrazyl method (DPPH), beans cooked without maceration present the higher antioxidant activity, and raw beans the lower. The phenolic acids found in greater amounts were gallic acid and chlorogenic acid. Kaempferol was only detected in the soaked and cooked samples; catechin and kaempferol-3-rutinoside were found in the highest concentrations. Quercetin and kaempferol-3-glucoside were not affected by the cooking process, either with or without maceration. In general, the heat treatment increased the antioxidant activity.

Iron bioavailability of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) intrinsically labeled with (59)Fe

A radiobioassay was performed in rats with or without iron depletion to evaluate the iron bioavailability of diets enriched with common beans and with "multimixture", a nutritional supplement based on parts of foods that are not usually eaten. The full-body (59)Fe level was determined after 5h, the absorbed (59)Fe level was determined after 48 h, and the amount of (59)Fe retained was determined after 7 days. Iron bioavailability was assessed by the full-body radioactivity of the animals, determined using a solid scintillation detector. The iron bioavailability of common beans was higher in the iron-depleted animals (55.7%) than in the non-depleted animals (25.12%) because of the higher absorption rate in the iron-depleted animals. The multimixture did not influence dietary iron bioavailability. In addition, the iron bioavailability of common beans was similar to that observed in the standard source of iron for Wistar rats. Hence, common beans may be considered an adequate dietary iron source because of its high bioavailability.

Bioavailability of iron in the regional basic diet (RBD) with dietary supplement in Brazil

The consumption of the regional basic diet (RBD) determines a state of malnutrition found in the low-income population of Northeastern Brazil. A dietary supplement known as multimixture has been used as an alternative source of iron in food for the prevention and/or treatment of anemia and for the recovery from malnutrition. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the bioavailability of iron in the RBD supplemented with multimixture in iron-depleted and non-depleted Wistar rats. To produce iron depletion in the animals, pretest depletion diets without iron and the pretest control diet based on the AIN-93 diet were used for 8 weeks. This phase was followed by the test diets: control, AIN-93 extrinsically labeled with (59)FeCl(3); RBD, containing carioca beans intrinsically labeled with (59)Fe; and RBDMM, RBD plus multimixture, supplied in a single meal. Hemoglobin concentration, weight gain, and dietary intake were determined in the pretest phase. Iron bioavailability was determined by the determination of total-body radiation in the animals for 7 days, using a solid scintillation detector. The hemoglobin concentration, weight gain, and dietary intake were greater in the non-depleted animals than in the iron-depleted ones. The iron bioavailability of the diets did not differ significantly. It was concluded that the multimixture did not affect the bioavailability of Fe contained in the beans of the RBD.