Journal of South China University of Technology(Natural Science Edition)

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Effect of Chicken Peptide-Ferrous Chelate on Iron Deficiency Anemia in Mice

LIU Ruili1  SONG Xueying1  MIAO Jinxin2  ZHAO Mouming1  SU Guowan1   

  1. 1. School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, Guangdong, China;

    2. Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan, China

  • Published:2025-09-19

Abstract:

This study systematically investigated the ameliorative effect of chicken breast peptide-iron chelate (CMP-Fe) on anemia symptoms in mice with iron-deficiency anemia (IDA), focusing on body weight, blood routine parameters, iron metabolism, inflammation, and tissue protection. Compared with the model group, all CMP-Fe dose groups(Low Dose：1.0 mg Fe/kg·bw；Middle Dose：2.0 mg Fe/kg·bw；High Dose：3.0 mg Fe/kg·bw) exhibited significant improvements in body weight, blood routine indicators [red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), red blood cell distribution width-coefficient of variation (RDW-CV)] and serum iron metabolism markers [serum iron (SI), total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin receptor (TFR), ferritin (FER), transferrin saturation (TSAT), unsaturated iron-binding capacity (UIBC)]. Notably, the high-dose CMP-Fe exerted a particularly prominent intervention effect: in terms of body weight improvement, its efficacy even exceeded that of the blank control group; while its amelioration of red blood cell indices was comparable to that of the positive control group. Furthermore, CMP-Fe significantly inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP) in serum and colon, and increased the anti-inflammatory factor (IL-10) and intestinal sIgA of IDA mice. Moreover, the regulatory effect of high-dose CMP-Fe on sIgA levels in IDA mice was superior to positive group. Meanwhile, CMP-Fe caused no pathological damage to the heart, lungs, spleen, kidneys of mice, and could alleviate pathological injuries in intestinal and liver tissues induced by a low-iron diet.  In conclusion, CMP-Fe effectively alleviates IDA symptoms in mice with high safety, making it a promising organic iron supplement. It can be developed as a specialized iron additive for cat food and other pet-related products.

Key words: chicken breast peptide-iron chelate, iron deficiency anemia, iron metabolism, inflammation regulation, cat food