Effect of Oral Supplementation of Healthy Pregnant Sows with Sucrosomial Ferric Pyrophosphate on Maternal Iron Status and Hepatic Iron Stores in Newborn Piglets.

backgroundThe similarities between swine and humans in physiological and genomic patterns, as well as significant correlation in size and anatomy, make pigs an useful animal model in nutritional studies during pregnancy. In humans and pigs iron needs exponentially increase during the last trimester of pregnancy, mainly due to increased red blood cell mass. Insufficient iron supply during gestation may be responsible for the occurrence of maternal iron deficiency anemia and decreased iron status in neonates. On the other hand, preventive iron supplementation of non-anemic mothers may be of potential risk due to iron toxicity. Several different regimens of iron supplementation have been applied during pregnancy. The majority of oral iron supplementations routinely applied to pregnant sows provide inorganic, non-heme iron compounds, which exhibit low bioavailability and intestinal side effects. The aim of this study was to check, using pig as an animal model, the effect of sucrosomial ferric pyrophosphate (SFP), a new non-heme iron formulation on maternal and neonate iron and hematological status, placental transport and pregnancy outcome; Methods: Fifteen non-anemic pregnant sows were recruited to the experiment at day 80 of pregnancy and randomized into the non-supplemented group (control; n = 5) and two groups receiving oral iron supplementation-sows given sucrosomial ferric pyrophosphate, 60 mg Fe/day (SFP; n = 5) (SiderAL