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Vitamins and Minerals (Poster Session)

(P17-012-24) Creatine Supplementation Increases Iron Absorption From High Dose Iron in Healthy but Not Iron Deficient Caco-2 Cells

Sunday, June 30, 2024
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM CT
Location: Poster Board 349

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Jane Harding, BSc

    PhD Candidate
    University of New South Wales
    Kensington, New South Wales, Australia

    • Co-Author(s)

  • AJ

    Alison Jones, PhD

    University of New South Wales, Australia

  • JA

    Jayashree Arcot, PhD

    Associate Professor
    Food and Health Cluster, School of Chemical Engineering, UNSW
    Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Disclosure(s):
Jane Harding, BSc: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives:

Background: Creatine is a non-protein nitrogen compound found naturally in the diet in muscle meat and readily available as a supplement. Creatine is a critical cell component with several biological functions including as an energy buffer. Iron deficiency remains a significant public health concern and iron absorption is known to be higher from diets with muscle meat.

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand if creatine supplementation impacts iron absorption in healthy and iron deficient caco-2 cells.

Methods: Caco-2 cells were supplemented with creatine (10 mM, 2 days) before absorption study using iron containing digesta. Ferritin production used to assess iron absorption. Iron deficiency was induced in caco-2 cells through growth in an iron depleted media.

Results: Pre-treatment of caco-2 cells with creatine (10 mM, 2 days) resulted in a significant increase in iron absorption from FeSO4 (40 mM) + ascorbic acid (p = 0.011) and Fe(III).EDTA (4 mM) (p = 0.000). Creatine supplementation had no effect on iron absorption from lower iron concentrations. Iron absorption was increased in iron deficient cells compared to control for both FeSO4 (40 mM) + ascorbic acid (p = 0.000) and Fe(III).EDTA (4 mM) (p = 0.000). However, pre-treatment of caco-2 cells with creatine (10 mM, 2 days) did not impact iron absorption from FeSO4 (40 mM) + ascorbic acid (p = 1.000) and significantly decreased iron absorption from Fe(III).EDTA (4 mM) (p = 0.000). Creatine supplementation increased iron absorption FeSO4 (40 mM) + ascorbic acid (p = 0.000) in both zinc deficient (p = 0.007) and dual iron and zinc deficiency cells (p = 0.024). The cause of the diverging results of healthy and iron deficient cells is unclear from this study.

Conclusions: Creatine supplementation may improve iron absorption in healthy individuals, however had no or an adverse effect in iron deficient cells. The significant difference in iron absorption between healthy and iron deficient cells pre-treated with creatine exemplifies the importance of using deficient models.

Funding Sources: This research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship.