Study with young women to investigate the effects of chitin and vitamin C on iron absorption from edible mealworm larvae.

Zusammenfassung der Studie

Animal foods are important sources of well-absorbed iron in human nutrition. Given the growing world population, sustainable iron sources must be identified, as increasing meat production is not desirable to achieve climate protection goals. A previous study showed that insect iron is moderately well absorbed. This study investigates whether chitin, a polysaccharide in insect biomass, reduces iron absorption. Additionally, the addition of vitamin C is attempted to increase iron absorption from insects. This knowledge may lead to optimizing the composition of an insect-based meal to enhance iron absorption. To measure iron absorption from insect biomass, insects are labeled with stable iron isotopes, and iron absorption in the blood is determined. Young women will participate in the study. When iron is administered in the form of stable isotopes, no adverse events are expected, as these occur naturally in our body, and the stable isotopes used are not radioactive.

(BASEC)

Untersuchte Intervention

The investigational product is edible mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor), whose feed is enriched with stable iron isotopes during growth to obtain intrinsically labeled insects with stable iron isotopes. The participants will receive the mealworm larvae alone, with additional chitin, or with ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

(BASEC)

Untersuchte Krankheit(en)

Iron is involved in vital metabolic processes such as oxygen transport from the lungs to tissues, electron transport in cells, DNA synthesis and repair, and muscle metabolism. However, many people are still affected by iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia, particularly preschool children (<5 years), adolescents, and pregnant and non-pregnant women of childbearing age. Iron deficiency is characterized by a lack of total iron in the body, which is primarily caused by insufficient dietary iron intake, a physiologically increased iron requirement, poor intestinal iron absorption, or chronic blood loss.

(BASEC)

Sponsor

Prof. Dr. Diego Moretti

(BASEC)

Name der bewilligenden Ethikkommission (bei multizentrischen Studien nur die Leitkommission)

Ethikkommission Zürich

(BASEC)

Datum der Bewilligung durch die Ethikkommission

14.03.2025

(BASEC)

Ergebnisse der Studie