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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 #294628
Title: Seed coat removal improves Fe bioavailability in cooked lentils: studies using an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture model

Author
item Dellavalle, Diane
item VANDENBERG, ALBERT - University Of Saskatchewan
item Glahn, Raymond

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/5/2013
Publication Date: 8/5/2013
Citation: DellaValle, D.M., Vandenberg, A., Glahn, R.P. 2013. Seed coat removal improves Fe bioavailability in cooked lentils: studies using an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture model. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 61(34):8084-8089. DOI: 10.1021/jf4022916.

Interpretive Summary: In these experiments, we studied the range of iron concentration and relative iron bioavailability of 24 varieties of cooked lentils, as well as the effect of dehulling (or seed coat removal) on the lentil iron nutritional quality. Relative iron bioavailability was assessed by the in vitro/Caco-2 cell culture method. While iron concentration of the whole cooked lentil was reasonably high, relative Fe bioavailability was modest. Although dehulling the lentils decreased iron concentration in the cooked lentils, iron bioavailability of the dehulled lentils was significantly better. This is likely due to removal of the polyphenolic compounds that are contained in the seed coat that inhibit iron bioavailability. The conclusion of this study is that along with breeding for high iron concentration and bioavailability (i.e. biofortification), seed coat removal appears to be a practical way to improve Fe bioavailability of the lentil, and would likely work for other pulses / legumes as well.

Technical Abstract: This study examined the range of Fe concentration and relative Fe bioavailability of 24 varieties of cooked lentils, as well as the impact of seed coat removal on lentil Fe nutritional quality. Relative Fe bioavailability was assessed by the in vitro/Caco-2 cell culture method. While Fe concentration of the whole cooked lentil was moderately high, (mean 72.8+/-10.8 ppm, n=24), relative Fe bioavailability was moderate (mean 17.9+/-6.1% of control lentil). Although removing the seed coat reduced Fe concentration by an average of 16.4+/-9.4 ppm in the cooked lentils, bioavailability was significantly improved (mean +40.1+/-18.2% of control lentil). Like most legume seeds, the seed coat of lentil is believed to contain polyphenols that are known to inhibit Fe bioavailability. Thus, along with breeding for high Fe concentration and bioavailability (i.e. biofortification), seed coat removal appears to be a practical way to improve Fe bioavailability of the lentil.