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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #196050
Title: HOMOGENIZATION, LYOPHILIZATION OR ACID-EXTRACTION OF MEAT PRODUCTS IMPROVES IRON UPTAKE FROM CEREAL-MEAT PRODUCT COMBINATIONS IN AN IN VITRO DIGESTION/CACO-2 CELL MODEL

Author
item PACHON, HELENA - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item STOLTZFUS, REBECCA - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item Glahn, Raymond

Submitted to: British Journal of Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2008
Publication Date: 3/1/2009
Citation: Pachon, H., Stoltzfus, R., Glahn, R.P. 2009. HOMOGENIZATION, LYOPHILIZATION OR ACID-EXTRACTION OF MEAT PRODUCTS IMPROVES IRON UPTAKE FROM CEREAL-MEAT PRODUCT COMBINATIONS IN AN IN VITRO DIGESTION/CACO-2 CELL MODEL. British Journal of Nutrition. 101(6):816-821.

Interpretive Summary: A model for digestion has been developed in our lab that uses a simulated digestion and Caco-2 epithelial tissue cell culture monolayer to imitate the intestinal lining and absorption of minerals into our bodies. The purpose of this study was to see if food particle size or processing of meat products could affect iron absorption. Beef was processed into different particle sizes and mixed with infant rice cereal and tested in the model to see if iron absorption was affected. In addition, another meat product, chicken livers, was processed into different particle sizes and acid extracted and mixed with wheat flour to see if iron absorption was affected. In both cases, meat blended for longer periods of time and thus smaller particles sizes increased iron absorption in the Caco-2 cell model system. In addition, acid extraction of the chicken liver also had increased iron absorption.

Technical Abstract: In order to develop improved infant foods (i.e. for infants 6-12 mos. of age), the effect of processing meat (i.e. homogenization, lyophilization, acid-extraction) on iron uptake from meat combined with iron-fortified cereal was evaluated using a simulated digestion/Caco-2 cell model. Beef was cooked, blended to create smaller meat particles, and combined with electrolytic iron-fortified infant rice cereal. Chicken liver was cooked and blended, lyophilized, or acid-extracted, and combined with FeSO4-fortified wheat flour. Caco-2 cell iron uptake was greater when the beef was blended for the most amount of time (360 s) compared with 30 s (P<0.05). Smaller liver particles (blended for 360 s or lyophilized) significantly enhanced iron uptake compared to liver blended for 60 s (P<0.001). Compared to liver blended for 60 s, acid extraction of liver significantly enhanced iron uptake (P=0.03). This first evaluation of the effect of meat processing on iron absorption indicates that homogenization, lyophilization, or acid-extraction of meat increase the enhancing effect of meat on iron absorption in cereals.