Supplementation with >Your< Iron Syrup Corrects Iron Status in a Mouse Model of Diet-Induced Iron Deficiency

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Iron deficiency remains a major global public health problem. When not properly addressed, it can deteriorate to anaemia. Iron deficiency with or without anaemia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality as well as with perturbed cognitive, behavioural, and motor development. Orally supplemented iron usually represents a first-line intervention to combat iron deficiency, being readily available, convenient, and effective. However, some oral formulations are poorly absorbed and can exhibit prominent side effects such as intestinal inflammation, pain, and nausea. We here examined the effects of >Your< Iron Syrup, one of the novel liquid iron-containing food supplements based on the microencapsulation technology in a mouse model of diet-induced iron deficiency. Several biomarkers of iron status improved significantly upon oral supplementation with >Your< Iron Syrup with no associated inflammatory response. Our results indicate that >Your< Iron Syrup was efficient in correcting iron deficiency and was well tolerated in our mouse model. ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to compare the effects of >Your< Iron Syrup, a novel oral liquid iron-containing food supplement, with the commonly prescribed iron sulphate (Fe-sulphate) in a mouse model of diet-induced iron deficiency. Standard inbred BALB/cOlaHsd mice were fed low-iron diet for 11 weeks to induce significant decrease in blood haemoglobin and haematocrit and were then supplemented by gavage with either >Your< Iron Syrup or Fe-sulphate for two weeks. In >Your< Iron Syrup group, several markers of iron deficiency, such as serum iron concentration, transferrin saturation and ferritin level were significantly improved in both female and male mice. Fe-sulphate induced similar responses, except that it did not significantly increase iron serum in females and serum ferritin in both sexes. Fe-sulphate significantly increased liver-iron content which >Your< Iron Syrup did not. Transcription of Hamp and selected inflammatory genes in the liver was comparable between the two supplementation groups and with the Control diet group. Some sex-specific effects were noted, which were more pronounced and less variable in males. In conclusion, >Your< Iron Syrup was efficient, comparable and in some parameters superior to Fe-sulphate in improving iron-related parameters without inducing a response of selected liver inflammation markers in a mouse model of diet-induced iron deficiency.