Effect of caseinophosphopeptides added to fruit beverages upon ferritin synthesis in Caco-2 cells

Ferritin synthesis was evaluated in iron sulphate solutions and in fruit beverages supplemented with iron, with/without zinc in the presence of caseinophosphopeptides (CPPs), based on a system combining simulated gastrointestinal digestion and the Caco-2 cell model. In iron sulphate solutions with/without zinc, the addition of CPPs had no effect upon ferritin synthesis. When CPPs were added to the bioaccessible fraction of fruit beverages supplemented with iron, ferritin synthesis increased in the same proportion as with the addition of milk. The addition of zinc to fruit beverages supplemented with iron and to iron sulphate solutions decreased ferritin synthesis. Nevertheless, in fruit beverages with milk, this decrease in ferritin synthesis was not observed when zinc was present.