Iron absorption from rice flour enriched with ferrous gluconate in lab tests
What it found
In lab tests using cells, iron from rice flour enriched with ferrous gluconate was absorbed slightly more than from ferrous fumarate.
A lower phytic acid environment helped the cells take up more iron.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Iron uptake in cells
In lab tests using gut cells, ferrous gluconate led to 11.53% more iron uptake in low phytic acid conditions. In high phytic acid conditions, it led to 13.45% more uptake compared to ferrous fumarate.
Similar iron availability
The overall amount of iron made available to the cells did not differ much between the two iron forms. This was true in both high and low phytic acid setups.
Effect of phytic acid
A lower level of phytic acid in the rice flour helped the gut cells take up and use the iron better.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that ferrous gluconate is taken up by cells more readily than ferrous fumarate when added to rice flour.
- They suggest ferrous gluconate could serve as an alternative iron source in foods made for infants and young children.
How it was done
Lack of iron can cause serious problems in babies and young children, including anemia and nerve issues. The authors wanted to see if ferrous gluconate could work as an added iron source in rice flour meant for infants.
Scientists tested two forms of added iron, ferrous gluconate and ferrous fumarate, in rice flour using a lab digestion model and human gut cells. They checked how well the cells took up the iron in both high and low phytic acid conditions.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are lab tests using cells and digestion models, not studies in living people.
- They cannot show how well babies or children actually absorb this iron from rice flour in real life.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Beijing Technology and Business University, China; Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, People's Republic of China
The paper
- Title
- The effect of iron absorption in ferrous gluconate form from enriched rice flour using an in vitro digestion model and a Caco-2 cell model
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Lin J, Liu C, Bai R, et al (2024). The effect of iron absorption in ferrous gluconate form from enriched rice flour using an in vitro digestion model and a Caco-2 cell model. Food & function. doi:10.1039/d4fo01441cPubMed 39109657DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error