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NCT Number: NCT06822062

Effect of Chitin and Ascorbic Acid on Dietary Insect Iron Absorption

Iron is involved in many vital metabolic processes such as oxygen transport, electron transport in cells, DNA synthesis and repair, and muscle metabolism. However, iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia continue to affect many people, particularly preschool children (<5 years), adolescents, and pregnant and non-pregnant women of childbearing age. Iron deficiency is characterized by a lack of total iron stores in the body, which is mainly caused by insufficient dietary iron intake, physiologically increased iron requirements, poor intestinal iron absorption, or chronic blood loss. Animal foods are important sources of highly bioavailable iron in the human diet. Meeting human nutritional needs for the rapidly increasing world population while targeting food production within the planetary boundaries will require the identification of sustainable iron sources, such as edible insects. A previous iron absorption study showed that insect iron is absorbed moderately well. The present study will examine if and to which extent chitin, a polysaccharide within the insect biomass, inhibits iron absorption. In addition, the enhancing iron absorption of ascorbic acid on iron absorption from Tenebrio molitor larvae will be studied. This knowledge can support to optimize the composition of an insect-based meal to increase its iron absorption.

To distinguish iron absorption from insect biomass from other sources, insects are labeled with stable iron isotopes (Fe-57, Fe-58, Fe-54) and iron absorption in the blood is measured.

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Key information

Conditions

Iron Deficiency (Without Anemia) Iron Deficiencies Iron Metabolism Disorders Metabolic Diseases Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases

Age range

18 year–45 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

ETH Zürich

Zurich, Canton of Zurich, 8005, Switzerland

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Diego Moretti

CONTACT

CONTACT

[email protected]

0445120920

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Female aged between 18-45 years
  • Normal BMI (18.5 - 24.9 kg/m2)
  • Body weight < 70 kg
  • Low iron status (being in the lower half of the serum ferritin distribution at screening)

Exclusion criteria

  • Anaemia (Hb < 12 g/dL)
  • Inflammation (CRP > 5.0 mg/L)
  • Pregnancy or intention to become pregnant during the study or within 30 days after the discontinuation of the study intervention
  • Lactating up to 6 weeks before the study initiation
  • Chronic digestive, renal and/or metabolic diseases
  • Antibiotics in the last 4 weeks prior to the study and during the study
  • Mineral and vitamin supplementation in the last 2 weeks prior to the study and during the course of the study
  • Chronic medication intake (except for oral contraceptives)
  • Blood transfusion, blood donation or significant blood loss (accident, surgery) over the past 4 months
  • Earlier participation in a study using stable isotopes or in any clinical study within the last 30 days
  • Food allergies, especially known hypersensitivity to crustacea, dust mites, sea food, gluten, milk, or eggs
  • Cigarette smoking (> 1 cigarette per day)

Treatment and study plan

Meal A

Other

Vegetable soup prepared with dried intrinsically labeled T.molitor (isotopic iron 57, native chitin content = 1g)

Meal B

Other

Vegetable soup prepared with dried intrinsically labeled T.molitor (isotopic iron 57) + 2g of extrinsically added chitin

Meal C

Other

Vegetable soup prepared with dried intrinsically labeled T.molitor (isotopic iron 57) + ascorbic acid (4:1 ascorbic acid to iron molar ratio)

Meal D

Other

Vegetable soup without insects with extrinsic addition of FeSO4 (isotopic iron 58)

Meal E

Other

Vegetable soup without insects with extrinsic addition of FeSO4 (isotopic iron 58) + 1g of extrinsically added chitin

Meal F

Other

Vegetable soup without insects with extrinsic addition of FeSO4 (isotopic iron 58) + 3g of extrinsically added chitin

Meal G

Other

Vegetable soup without insects with extrinsic addition of FeSO4 (isotopic iron 54) + ascorbic acid (4:1 ascorbic acid to iron molar ratio)

Primary outcomes

  1. Fractional iron absorption

    Time frame: screening (-1), 16th, 32nd,47th day of the study

    Fractional iron absorption will be calculated based on the shift in iron isotope ratio in red blood cells 14 to 16 days post administration of the isotopically labelled meals. Calculation of fractional iron absorption will take into account the principles of isotope dilution and the fact that iron isotopic labels are not monoisotopic.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Hemoglobin (Hb)

    Time frame: screening (-1), 16th, 32nd, 47th day of the study

    Iron status marker

  2. Serum Ferritin (SF)

    Time frame: screening (-1), 16th, 32nd, 47th day of the study

    Iron status marker

  3. Serum Transferrin Receptor (sTfR)

    Time frame: screening (-1), 47th day of the study

    Iron status marker

  4. C-Reactive Protein (CRP)

    Time frame: screening (-1), 16th, 32nd, 47th day of the study

    Inflammation status

  5. alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP)

    Time frame: screening (-1), 47th day of the study

    Inflammation status

  6. Retinol binding Protein (RBP)

    Time frame: screening (-1), 47th day of the study

    Inflammation status

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Diego Moretti, Prof.

CONTACT

[email protected]

+41 44 512 09 20

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Swiss Distance University of Applied Sciences

Other

Collaborators

  • Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Chitin and Ascorbic Acid on Dietary Iron Absorption From Tenebrio Molitor Larvae in Young Women.

Acronym: INSECTE

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Feb 12, 2025
Registry last updated
May 31, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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