L2M NSERC - Powdered Iron Supplement for Redispersion and Quick Consumption

贫血是一个普遍的全球公共卫生问题，在妇女中尤为普遍，大约36.5%的孕妇和29.6%的非孕妇受到影响。缺铁性贫血是这种疾病最常见的类型，占所有病例的50%。补铁被推荐用于预防和治疗缺铁性贫血，最常见的两种给药方法是口服和静脉补铁。除了严重贫血的患者外，口服给药通常比静脉给药更受欢迎，但这两种方法都会导致不良的胃肠道副作用，因为并发症，如铁负荷过高或肠道中存在游离铁。如果补充剂的配方是为了将铁定向输送到吸收它的小肠，这个问题可以被绕过。市场上对耐受性良好且负担得起的铁补充方案存在缺口，这些方案专门设计用于通过靶向释放提高生物利用度，迫切需要更好的替代方案。我们建议的补铁配方是一种可溶解的粉末，利用对pH敏感的聚合物和含有维生素C来增强铁的吸收，预先分配到包含推荐的每日铁摄入量。我们的技术使用定制设计的微流体设备将合适的铁源封装在微滴中，这种微滴是定向释放的，对pH敏感的材料通过胃保护胶囊，并在小肠中溶解，以提高包裹的铁的生物利用度。我们胶囊的微米大小增加了它们的表面积与体积的比率，加快了胶囊在小肠中的溶解速度，并使铁的快速吸收成为可能。与传统的补铁片相比，我们建议的配方能够选择性地将铁输送到小肠，从而提高了铁的生物利用度和吸收。我们的靶向包囊方法可以进一步扩大到其他天然保健品(如益生菌)的靶向递送，以提高它们的生物利用度。

Anemia is a widespread global public health problem which is particularly prevalent among women, affecting approximately 36.5% of pregnant women and 29.6% of non-pregnant women. Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common type of this condition, accounting for up to 50% of all cases. Iron supplementation is recommended for the prevention and treatment of iron-deficiency anemia and the two most common administration methods are oral and intravenous iron supplementation. Oral administration is typically preferred over intravenous, except in the case of severely anemic patients, but both methods result in undesirable gastrointestinal side effects due to complications such as iron overload or the presence of free iron in the gut. This issue can be circumvented if the supplement is formulated for the targeted delivery of iron to the small intestine where it is absorbed. There is a gap in the market for well-tolerated and affordable iron supplementation options specifically engineered to improve bioavailability through targeted release and a better alternative is desperately needed. Our proposed iron supplement formulation is a dissolvable powder both utilizing a pH-sensitive polymer and containing vitamin C to enhance iron absorption, pre-portioned to contain the recommended daily intake of iron. Our technology encapsulates a suitable iron source using a custom-designed microfluidic device within microscale droplets of a targeted-release, pH-sensitive material that protects the capsule through the stomach and dissolves in the small intestine to improve the bioavailability of the encapsulated iron. The micron-sized nature of our capsules increases their surface area-to-volume ratio, accelerating the capsule dissolution rate in the small intestine and enabling the rapid absorption of iron. The selective delivery of iron to the small intestine enabled by our proposed formulation improves the bioavailability and absorption of iron compared to conventional iron supplement tablets. Our targeted encapsulation approach could be further expanded for the targeted delivery of other natural health products (such as probiotics) to enhance their bioavailability.