Oat protein nanofibril–iron hybrids offer a stable, high-absorption iron delivery platform for iron fortification

Iron deficiency and anaemia affect two billion people globally. Iron fortification can help to treat anaemia, but most current fortificants are limited by low absorption and/or poor sensory properties. Here we introduce oat protein nanofibrils (OatNF) carrying ultrasmall iron nanoparticles that are engineered to carry iron in ferrous or ferric form. In a prospective cross-over stable-isotope absorption trial in young iron-deficient women (n = 52), OatNF reduced with sodium ascorbate carried mainly ferrous iron and showed high fractional absorption with water and with polyphenol-rich food, showing 1.76- and 1.65-fold higher absorption, respectively, compared with ferrous sulfate. When sodium hydroxide was used as the reducing agent, OatNF carried mainly ferric iron, which was also well absorbed and featured good sensory properties in reactive food matrices. OatNF hybrids offer a plant-based strategy for delivering highly bioavailable iron for food fortification.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Food
Published
2025-11-10
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01260-6
Citations
6
Primary Topic
Iron Metabolism and Disorders
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
10.62

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article

Oat protein nanofibril–iron hybrids offer a stable, high-absorption iron delivery platform for iron fortification

Ferdinand von Meyenn, Jiangtao Zhou, Sueppong Gowachirapant, Raffaele Mezzenga et al.
6 citations
Nature Food
Iron Metabolism and Disorders
10.62
article

Oat protein nanofibril–iron hybrids offer a stable, high-absorption iron delivery platform for iron fortification

Ferdinand von Meyenn, Jiangtao Zhou, Sueppong Gowachirapant, Raffaele Mezzenga, Michael B. Zimmermann, Jeannette Nuessli Guth, Christophe Zeder, Ines Kutzli, Alexander Wieczorek, Sebastian Siol
article en
6 citations

Abstract

Iron deficiency and anaemia affect two billion people globally. Iron fortification can help to treat anaemia, but most current fortificants are limited by low absorption and/or poor sensory properties. Here we introduce oat protein nanofibrils (OatNF) carrying ultrasmall iron nanoparticles that are engineered to carry iron in ferrous or ferric form. In a prospective cross-over stable-isotope absorption trial in young iron-deficient women (n = 52), OatNF reduced with sodium ascorbate carried mainly ferrous iron and showed high fractional absorption with water and with polyphenol-rich food, showing 1.76- and 1.65-fold higher absorption, respectively, compared with ferrous sulfate. When sodium hydroxide was used as the reducing agent, OatNF carried mainly ferric iron, which was also well absorbed and featured good sensory properties in reactive food matrices. OatNF hybrids offer a plant-based strategy for delivering highly bioavailable iron for food fortification.

Nature FoodVol. 6(12)
National University of Singapore (SG), King's College London (GB), Mahidol University (TH), John Radcliffe Hospital (GB), ETH Zurich (CH), MRC Human Immunology Unit (GB), Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (CH)
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Iron Metabolism and Disorders
10.62
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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