Biomaterial Database

Effect of cysteine on iron absorption in man. 1981

C Martínez-Torres, and E Romano, and M Layrisse

Cysteine significantly increases, about 2-fold, the absorption from nonheme iron present in vegetable foods, hemosiderin, and of a ferric salt, when this amino acid is administered during the ingestion of foods. No enhancing effect was obtained when the amino acid was mixed with the food before the final cooking. A slight but significant enhancement of heme iron absorption was observed when a large dose of cysteine was administered during the ingestion of hemoglobin. This amino acid mimics the enhancing effect from proteins present in animal foods such as beef, lamb, pork, fish, chicken, and liver. It could be possible that proteins and cysteine share the same mechanism by which they induce an increase of iron absorption.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007501	Iron	A metallic element with atomic symbol Fe, atomic number 26, and atomic weight 55.85. It is an essential constituent of HEMOGLOBINS; CYTOCHROMES; and IRON-BINDING PROTEINS. It plays a role in cellular redox reactions and in the transport of OXYGEN.	Iron-56,Iron 56
D007887	Fabaceae	The large family of plants characterized by pods. Some are edible and some cause LATHYRISM or FAVISM and other forms of poisoning. Other species yield useful materials like gums from ACACIA and various LECTINS like PHYTOHEMAGGLUTININS from PHASEOLUS. Many of them harbor NITROGEN FIXATION bacteria on their roots. Many but not all species of "beans" belong to this family.	Afzelia,Amorpha,Andira,Baptisia,Callerya,Ceratonia,Clathrotropis,Colophospermum,Copaifera,Delonix,Euchresta,Guibourtia,Legumes,Machaerium,Pithecolobium,Stryphnodendron,Leguminosae,Pea Family,Pithecellobium,Tachigalia,Families, Pea,Family, Pea,Legume,Pea Families
D008297	Male		Males
D010946	Plants, Medicinal	Plants whose roots, leaves, seeds, bark, or other constituent parts possess therapeutic, tonic, purgative, curative or other pharmacologic attributes, when administered to man or animals.	Herbs, Medicinal,Medicinal Herbs,Healing Plants,Medicinal Plants,Pharmaceutical Plants,Healing Plant,Herb, Medicinal,Medicinal Herb,Medicinal Plant,Pharmaceutical Plant,Plant, Healing,Plant, Medicinal,Plant, Pharmaceutical,Plants, Healing,Plants, Pharmaceutical
D002712	Chlorides	Inorganic compounds derived from hydrochloric acid that contain the Cl- ion.	Chloride,Chloride Ion Level,Ion Level, Chloride,Level, Chloride Ion
D003313	Zea mays	A plant species of the family POACEAE. It is a tall grass grown for its EDIBLE GRAIN, corn, used as food and animal FODDER.	Corn,Indian Corn,Maize,Teosinte,Zea,Corn, Indian
D003545	Cysteine	A thiol-containing non-essential amino acid that is oxidized to form CYSTINE.	Cysteine Hydrochloride,Half-Cystine,L-Cysteine,Zinc Cysteinate,Half Cystine,L Cysteine
D004044	Dietary Proteins	Proteins obtained from foods. They are the main source of the ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS.	Proteins, Dietary,Dietary Protein,Protein, Dietary
D005260	Female		Females
D005290	Ferric Compounds	Inorganic or organic compounds containing trivalent iron.	Compounds, Ferric