The absorption of iron, copper, zinc, and cobalt deriving from the diet and supplements varies, depending on the form of these trace elements and the presence of absorption inhibitors. The objective of this study was to examine the absorption of iron, copper, zinc, and cobalt in the presence of corn lectin as a possible inhibitor of intestinal absorption. The highest level of inhibition was shown in bull in vitro intestinal segments: incubation with corn lectins reduced the absorption of copper by 35.5%, of zinc by 28%, and of cobalt by 17.3%. It caused no observable effect on iron absorption. The addition of N-acetylgalactosamine neutralised the inhibitory effect of corn lectins and restored the absorption of the trace elements. The levels of copper and iron in the blood of rats receiving a diet supplemented with lyophilized corn lectins, decreased by 11.3% and 16.4%, respectively. Our results thus suggest that corn lectins may act as absorption inhibitors of iron, copper, zinc, and cobalt, most likely through blocking the transport of elements across the apical membrane of enterocytes. The present study suggests that individuals should consider their trace element status if their diet includes high amounts of raw corn. However, additional in vivo studies are required to confirm these results.

中文翻译：

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玉米凝集素对肠道微量元素转运的影响

从饮食和补品中摄取的铁，铜，锌和钴的吸收量会有所不同，具体取决于这些微量元素的形式和吸收抑制剂的存在。这项研究的目的是研究在存在玉米凝集素作为肠道吸收抑制剂的情况下铁，铜，锌和钴的吸收情况。在公牛体外肠段中显示出最高的抑制水平：与玉米凝集素一起孵育可将铜的吸收减少35.5％，将锌吸收减少28％，并将钴吸收减少17.3％。它对铁的吸收没有明显的影响。N的加法-乙酰半乳糖胺中和了玉米凝集素的抑制作用，并恢复了微量元素的吸收。补充冻干玉米凝集素饮食的大鼠血液中的铜和铁含量分别下降了11.3％和16.4％。因此，我们的结果表明，玉米凝集素可能是铁，铜，锌和钴的吸收抑制剂，最有可能通过阻止元素跨肠细胞顶膜的转运来实现。本研究建议，如果饮食中含有大量的生玉米，则应考虑其微量元素的状况。但是，还需要进行其他体内研究来确认这些结果。