Absorption of iron from Tegillarca granosa using an in vitro simulated digestion and Caco-2/HepG2 co-culture system.

Background: Iron-deficiency anemia is one severe micronutrient malnutrition and has captured worldwide attention. This study evaluated the in vitro iron absorption of two iron-binding proteins (hemoglobin and ferritin) from Tegillarca granosa. In addition, the protein structure-iron absorption relationship and the regulatory effect of hepcidin on cellular iron absorption were explored.

Results: Our findings revealed that both hemoglobin and ferritin extracted from T. granosa contained abundant iron-binding sites, as evidenced by stronger peaks in amide I and II regions compared with the two proteins from humans. Less β-sheet (27.67%) structures were found in hemoglobin compared with ferritin (36.40%), probably contributing to its greater digestibility and more release of available iron. This was confirmed by the results of Caco-2/HepG2 cell culture system that showed iron absorption of hemoglobin was 26.10-39.31% higher than that of ferritin with an iron content of 50-150 μmol L . This high iron absorption of hemoglobin (117.86-174.10 ng mg ) could also be due to more hepcidin produced by HepG2 cells, thereby preventing ferroportin-mediated iron efflux from Caco-2 cells. In addition, the possible risk of oxidative stress was evaluated in cells post-iron exposure. In comparison with ferrous sulfate, a common iron supplement, Caco-2 cells treated with the iron-binding proteins had a 9.50-25.73% lower level of intracellular reactive oxygen species, indicating the safety of hemoglobin and ferritin.

Conclusion: Collectively, the data of this research would be helpful for understanding the key features and potential of developing hemoglobin and ferritin from T. granosa as novel iron supplements. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.