Award details

Enhancing delivery of minerals using multifunctional carriers

Reference	BBS/E/F/00042508
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Roger Parker
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Peter Wilde
Institution	Quadram Institute Bioscience
Department	Quadram Institute Bioscience Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	145,200
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2009
End date	31/12/2012
Duration	45 months

Abstract

This study aims to create and test the performance of novel, environmentally responsive delivery structures to enhance mineral absorption, using iron as a model. The intake of many micronutrients has fallen due to reduced energy needs associated with sedentary lifestyles. Micronutrient requirements for optimal health may be higher than those recommended to avoid deficiency disorders. Even in developed countries iron deficiency is still a relatively common nutritional disorder, especially in individuals with a high requirement due to growth, blood loss or in old age. Mineral absorption can also be adversely affected by either chelation with dietary constituents such as phytates and tannins or oxidation into insoluble hydroxides, which prevent uptake. Hence, this study aims to develop an effective mineral delivery system that protects the mineral during processing, storage and early stages of digestion prior to the site of uptake. The hypothesis we wish to test is that if the iron is delivered to the duodenum in a soluble protected form, uptake will be enhanced as there will be less opportunity for the iron to form complexes or to oxidise. This will be achieved using iron containing, gel microbeads surrounded by an impermeable, environmentally responsive coating. This coating will be formed from multilayers of mixed (food approved) biopolymers. Research at IFR has shown that these layers can be designed to be sensitive to pH changes such that they will stay intact during gastric pH, but will degrade under duodenal conditions. The main objectives will be:- 1. Create and characterise suitably environmentally responsive barriers. 2. Assemble micro-bead based delivery structures 3. Determine stability and release properties in vitro 4. Determine in vivo rates of uptake using human intervention trials. This will quantify the improved rate of uptake, and as the approach is generic, can be tailored and applied to a whole range of water soluble micronutrients.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Diet and Health
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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