In vivo evaluation of bone mineralization and prebiotic activity of breads fortified with calcium and inulin

SALINAS M.V.; ZULETA A.; BINAGHI J.; RONAYNE DE FERRER P.; PUPPO M.C.; WEISTSTAUB A.

Rotterdam

Congreso; 7th International Dietary Fibre Conference 2018; 2018

Wageningen University-nternational Cereal Science, ICC

According to the National Survey on Nutrition and Health (NSNH, 2007) of Argentina, calcium was one of the most critical nutrients; this mineral was deficient in 45.6% of children (2-5 years old) and in 94.3% of women (10-49 years old). A diet with adequate calcium supplements could help to control diseases caused by deficiency of this element such as osteopenia and osteoporosis. Because the calcium content of white flour, and hence breads made with them, is very low, the contribution to the diet is negligible. Bread is an adequate food for providing calcium to people because it is widely consumed throughout the world. Not only the calcium quantity but also its bioavailability is important. For this reason, it is recommended to include a prebiotic together with calcium in bread formulation. Therefore, the objective of this work was to study the effect of wheat bread fortified with calcium carbonate and inulin enriched with fructo-oligosacharides (Synergy1, Beneo Orafti) on calcium absorption, bone mineralization and prebiotic activity in an experimental model.Bread were formulated with wheat flour, salt (2%), fresh yeast (3%) and calcium carbonate (2400 ppm) as a source of calcium and 12 % of synergy1 (Beneo Orafti) as a prebiotic (In). The in vivo nutritional performance of the bread formulated with calcium carbonate and inulin was studied feeding growing rats up to 60 days and using AIN 93G as control diet (CD). Animals fed with bread, consumed less diet and presented a caecal pH (5.5) lower than that of the CD group (7.0) with the highest amount of anaerobic micro-organisms (1.68 9 1010 cfu.g-1) at 23 days. Also calcium apparent absorption (83%), bone mineral content (18 g.kg-1), proximal density of tibia (242 mg.cm-2) and bone volume (41%) were higher than in the control group.Therefore, fortified bread with calcium carbonate including a prebiotic is a potential functional food, which in addition to ameliorate nutritional deficiencies would improve the health of the population.