NCT07143890

Iron Absorption From Plant Heme Iron

Iron Absorption From Plant-Derived Heme Iron: An Experimental Study in Iron-Deficient Women (PHIA)

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 45 (estimated)
• Sponsor: ETH Zurich · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 45 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Heme, an iron protoporphyin IX complex, consists of a ferrous ion captured in a porphyrin ring acting as a tetradentate ligand. The unique features of heme iron -its unusually high absorption in foods and its resistance to luminal inhibitors of iron absorption- make it a potentially interesting iron fortificant. This study aims to compare fractional iron absorption from two plant-derived heme iron compounds-iron chlorophyllin and soy hemoglobin-with ferrous sulfate (negative control) and porcine hemoglobin (positive control) in iron-deficient women. All four compounds will be intrinsically labeled with stable iron isotopes. Fractional absorption will be assessed 14 days after test meal administration via erythrocyte iron incorporation. Absorption will be tested in two matrices: water and maize porridge (an inhibitory matrix). Each participant will consume all test conditions in a randomized order, allowing for within-subject comparisons.

Conditions

• Iron Deficiency (ID)
• Iron Absorption

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Iron chlorophyllin + no-matrix	Water with labelled Fe chlorophyllin (54Fe)
OTHER	SoyHb + no-matrix	Water with labelled soy hemoglobin (58Fe)
OTHER	FeSO4 + no-matrix	Water with labelled ferrous sulfate (58Fe)
OTHER	Hb + no-matrix	Water with labelled porcine hemoglobin (57Fe)
OTHER	Iron chlorophyllin + meal-matrix	Maize porridge with labelled Fe chlorophyllin (54Fe)
OTHER	SoyHb + meal-matrix	Maize porridge with labelled soy hemoglobin (58Fe)
OTHER	FeSO4 + meal-matrix	Maize porridge with labelled ferrous sulfate (57Fe)
OTHER	Hb + meal-matrix	Maize porridge with labelled porcine hemoglobin (57Fe)

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-09-22
• Primary completion: 2026-05-01
• Completion: 2026-05-01
• First posted: 2025-08-27
• Last updated: 2026-02-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Switzerland