Radiolabeled Iron in Soybeans: Intrinsic Labeling and Bioavailability of Iron to Rats from Defatted Flour

Abstract

Soybeans can be efficiently labeled with radiolabeled iron by supplying the iron via a nutrient culture medium as an iron salt or as a chelate. By using dual labeled iron and EDTA, it was determined that none of the chelator was transported to the shoots with the iron. Therefore, the use of chelated iron as the iron source in the nutrient medium should not affect assessments of bioavailability of iron from plants. Bioavailability (determined from whole-body retention curves of ⁵⁹Fe in rats) of iron from defatted soy flour was relatively high and addition of vitamin C did not significantly enhance absorption of iron from defatted soy flour.