NCT06822062 Effect of Chitin and Ascorbic Acid on Dietary Insect Iron Absorption
| NCT ID | NCT06822062 |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Phase | — |
| Sponsor | Swiss Distance University of Applied Sciences |
| Condition | Iron Deficiency (Without Anemia) |
| Study Type | INTERVENTIONAL |
| Enrollment | 25 participants |
| Start Date | 2025-05-06 |
| Primary Completion | 2025-06-30 |
Eligibility & Interventions
Eligibility Fast-Check
Enter your details for a quick preliminary check. This does not replace medical advice.
What to Expect as a Participant
You will actively receive the study intervention — which may be a drug, biologic, device, or procedure.
This trial targets 25 participants in total. It began in 2025-05-06 with a primary completion date of 2025-06-30.
⚠ This information is for research awareness only. Always consult your physician before joining any clinical trial. Participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.
Brief Summary
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.
Eligibility Criteria
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)
Contact & Investigator
Diego Moretti, Prof.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Fernfachhochschule Schweiz
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can join the NCT06822062 clinical trial?
This trial is open to female participants only, aged 18 Years or older, up to 45 Years, studying Iron Deficiency (Without Anemia). Full inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed in the Eligibility Criteria section. Always confirm your eligibility with the research team before applying.
Is NCT06822062 currently recruiting?
Yes, NCT06822062 is actively recruiting participants. Contact the research team at diego.moretti@ffhs.ch for enrollment information.
Where is the NCT06822062 trial being conducted?
This trial is being conducted at Zurich, Switzerland.
Who is sponsoring the NCT06822062 clinical trial?
NCT06822062 is sponsored by Swiss Distance University of Applied Sciences. The principal investigator is Diego Moretti, Prof. at Fernfachhochschule Schweiz. The trial plans to enroll 25 participants.