NUTRIPEA: New technologies for improved nutritional and functional value of pea protein

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 95.0217

Key words (English)

Pea protein; bioprocessing; infant formula; phytic acid; ascorbic acid; iron absorption

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: FAIR-CT95-0193

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 4.3 Biomedical/Health research

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
ETH Zürich
Institut of Food Science and Nutrition
Human Nutrition Laboratory

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Chalmers University of Technology (S), Provital (B), VTT (FIN), Adria (F), Semper (S), Technical University of Denmark (DK)

Abstract (English)

Iron (Fe) absorption from infant formula based on pea protein isolate was measured in healthy young women. The influence of phytic acid and ascorbic acid on Fe absorption was evaluated, using a stable isotope technique based on the incorporation of Fe stable isotopes into erythrocytes 14 days after administration. Fe absorption increased statistically significantly after the degradation of phytic acid; geometric mean Fe absorption (+1SD, -1SD) increased from 20.7 % (41.6 %, 10.3 %) to 33.1 % (58.6 %, 18.7 %) (p<0.0001). Doubling the molar ratio ascorbic acid:Fe also increased Fe absorption significantly; geometric mean Fe absorption increased from 14.8 % (32.1 %, 6.8 %) to 22.1 % (47.2 %, 10.4 %) (p<0.0001). The results from the present study indicate relatively high fractional Fe absorption from the formulas tested, as compared to our earlier data on Fe absorption from soy formulas in adults (Hurrell et al. 1998), even after adjusting for differences in Fe status between different study populations.
Thus, the data indicate that Fe absorption from dephytinized pea protein might be less inhibitory than dephytinized soy protein. An additional study with a direct comparison between dephytinized pea and soy protein would be required for a final evaluation of the effect of the protein sources per se on Fe bioavailability.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 95.0217