High-Absorbable Ferric Pyrophosphate for Iron Supplement R Ferrsorb Ferrsorb is iron supplement which is absorbed efficiently into the body without impairing taste and texture of various foods. It can be applied to most foods, such as dry foods, semisolid-form foods and liquid-form foods. Advantage of Ferrsorb I : High iron absorbability Ferrsorb is soluble Ferric Pyrophosphate in the duodenum without dissolving in the stomach. In the duodenum, the eluted ferric ion from Ferrsorb is absorbed efficiently into the body. Iron Absorption Pathway Iron supplement Mouth(pH6.8) Dissolution Fe 3+ Fe 3+ Stomach(pH1.2) Dissolution Fe 3+ Fe 3+ Duodenum(pH3.0~5.0) Fe 3+ Reduce to Fe 2+ within the cell Fe 2+ Absorption Iron is absorbed from the duodenum, through elution of ferric ion within the digestive system. However, ferric ions cause not only iron taste but also digestive trouble from irritation of the gastric mucosa, when eluted in the early stage of digestive system such as the mouth and the stomach. Desirable iron supplement is considered to be insoluble in the stomach and soluble in the duodenum. 1 / 5
Type of Iron Supplement Water Soluble Type e.g. Ferrous sulfate, Ferric citrate and Ferric ammonium citrate Water Insoluble e.g. Ferric pyrophosphate Features elute a lot of ferric irons in the mouth and the stomach strong iron taste high risk for digestive trouble less elution activity in the mouth and the stomach without iron taste low risk for digestive trouble Water soluble iron supplement dissolves completely and elutes a lot of ferric ions, in the early stage of digestive system. However, it reacts easily with other ingredients in foods, and forms insoluble substances which are poorly absorbable. Furthermore it impairs taste of foods and attacks the gastric mucosa. Water insoluble iron supplement is stable in most foods and it has little effect on taste of foods. However, it is not without risk for digestive trouble when dissolved in the stomach. <Comparison of iron elution activity in the stomach between Ferrsorb and water soluble iron supplement in vitro> *Fe elution ratio in the stomach = eluted iron amount into artificial gastric juice / total iron amount 100 Ferrsorb, is water insoluble iron supplement, showed lower Fe elution ratio compared with water soluble iron supplement. It is considered to reduce the risk for digestive trouble. 2 / 5
Potential Absorbable Iron Content <Iron absorption model for water insoluble iron supplement> Total iron In the stomach Eluted iron in the stomach In the duodenum 100 Residual iron in the stomach Eluted iron in the duodenum = Potential Absorbable Iron Potential absorbable iron content = (Total iron - Eluted iron in the stomach) (Eluted iron in the duodenum / Total iron) *Key terms Eluted iron in the stomach Residual iron in the stomach Eluted iron in the duodenum Amount of eluted iron into artificial gastric juice. It becomes a cause of digestive troubles. It is obtained from the amount of eluted iron at 60 minutes in dissolution test with artificial gastric juice. It is obtained from the amount of insoluble iron in dissolution test with artificial gastric juice. It is obtained from the amount of eluted iron in dissolution test with simulated duodenal juice. Although water insoluble iron supplement such as Ferric pyrophosphate is poorly soluble in the mouth and the stomach, it has also a disadvantage of less dissolution activity in the duodenum. <Dissolution property of potential absorbable iron, on Ferrsorb and competing product in vitro> Ferrsorb has high dissolution activity in the duodenum compared to common Ferric Pyrophosphate by our technology. As a result of dissolution test, Ferrsorb showed almost double amount of potential absorbable iron, compared to competing Ferric Pyrophosphate. Ferrsorb is high absorbable iron supplement without iron defects. 3 / 5
Advantage of Ferrsorb II : High dispersibility and smooth texture Ferrsorb has high dispersibility in liquid-form food without particular treatment in order to enhance dispersibility such as addition of emulsifier. Furthermore Ferrsorb provides good texture for most foods. Thus, Ferrsorb offers high quality iron-fortified foods. Dispersibility <Dispersion test with water, on Ferrsorb and competing product> Ferrsorb Competing product 10 minutes 1 hour 1day *Add 1 gram of Ferric Pyrophosphate into 100mL of purified water. Ferrsorb was able to maintain stable dispersion state compared to competing product. From the results, it is possible to manufacture liquid iron-fortified foods which maintain stable dispersion state, with our Ferrsorb. 4 / 5
Texture <Sensory test for texture with various liquid-form foods, on Ferrsorb and competing product> Food:Yogurt drink Food:Soybean milk Competing products Competing products *Add 1 gram of Ferric Pyrophosphate into 100mL of purified water. *Sensory test method Score Criterion 4 Not feel any roughness 3 Feel roughness slightly 2 Feel roughness 1 Uncomfortable SEM image of Ferrsorb Particle size of Ferrsorb Average particle size 3.8μm 5μm Ferrsorb hardly feel roughness compared to competing products, it was confirmed Ferrsorb does not impair the texture of food. It is considered to be due to that Ferrsorb is aggregate of microparticles. Summary Ferrsorb is iron supplement which is absorbed efficiently into the body. Furthermore Ferrsorb has good dispersibility and texture for liquid-form foods. Thus, it can be applied to most foods such as dry foods, semisolid-form foods and liquid-form foods. In particular, Ferrsorb is suitable to powdered drink mix and infant formula with high dispersibility. 5 / 5