Effects of Emblica Officinalis Juice and Curd on Iron Bioaccessibility and in Vitro Dialyzable Iron Fraction in Rice-Based Food Systems
Deepika Ramasamy
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Periyar University, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India.
Ariharan Vasantharaj
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Periyar University, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India.
Karthika Periyasami *
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Periyar University, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Iron deficiency anaemia remains a major global nutritional concern, particularly among women and children. The present study investigated the effects of Emblica officinalis juice and curd on iron bioaccessibility and the in vitro dialysable iron fraction in selected rice-based food systems using a simulated gastrointestinal digestion model. Four traditional rice-based recipes [Curry Leaves Chutney with Rice (CLR), Mint Leaves Chutney with Rice (MCR), Tamarind Rasam with Rice (RR), and Red Amaranth Kadayal with Rice (AKR)] were prepared and evaluated as control, fruit juice-treated (FJ), curd-treated (CU), and combined-treatment (FJ + CU) samples. The total iron content of the recipes ranged from 4.43 ± 0.01 mg/100 g in RR to 7.79 ± 0.02 mg/100 g in AKR. Among all treatments, CU supplementation significantly improved both the bioaccessible and in vitro dialysable iron fractions (p < 0.05). AKR + CU exhibited the highest dialysable and bioaccessible iron values (2.52 ± 0.01 mg and 2.52 ± 0.02 mg, respectively), followed by CLR + CU (2.30 ± 0.02 mg and 2.24 ± 0.01 mg, respectively). RR showed the lowest bioaccessible iron (1.35–1.44 mg) and dialysable iron fraction (1.30–1.49 mg). The combined treatment (FJ + CU) produced moderate improvements compared with the control and FJ alone, but its values remained lower than those obtained with CU alone. Residual iron ranged from 1.30 ± 0.05 mg to 2.53 ± 0.01 mg, indicating that a portion of the iron remained associated with the undigested food matrix after digestion. Mass-balance values were close to 100%, supporting the analytical recovery of the in vitro digestion model. The findings suggest that curd enhanced the in vitro dialysable iron fraction in the tested rice-based meals under the experimental conditions.
Keywords: Iron deficiency anaemia, iron bioaccessibility, dialysable iron, in vitro digestion, Emblica officinalis, curd, rice-based foods, red amaranth, mineral solubilisation, food matrix