ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1650536
This article is part of the Research TopicMaternal and Infant Nutrition: Impact on Breast Milk, Infant Gut Microbiota and Health DevelopmentView all 11 articles
Differential Effects of Prophylactic Iron Supplementation on Physiological Gestational Anemia and Post IDA Gestational Anemia: A Study Based on a Rat Model
Provisionally accepted
- Chengdu University of Chinese Medicine, Cheng Du, China
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Abstract Objective: To observe the effects of iron supplementation on physiological pregnancy and pregnancy after iron deficiency anemia (IDA) caused by low-iron diet. Method: Establish physiological pregnancy anemia and IDA induced pregnancy rat models, and the effects of preventive iron supplementation with Ferrous SuccinateTablets(Sulifei, SLF) and polysaccharide-iron complex (Niferex, LFN) on the pregnancy ability, embryonic development, anemia indicators, and iron content and metabolic indicators in the model rats were observed. Result: Anemia markers and body iron content were decreased in physiological pregnancy rat model, accompanied by abnormal oxidative stress and iron metabolism. In post-IDA gestational rat model, these markers were even more severely aggravated. SLF and LFN intervention improved body iron content, oxidative stress, and iron metabolism-related markers in physiological pregnant rats, but did not improve anemia markers. After six weeks of pretreatment with SLF and LFN, some reproductive toxicity effects were observed.SLF and LFN intervention in post-IDA gestational rat model improved anemia markers, body iron content, and iron metabolism-related markers. There were no significant differences in reproductive parameters between the two groups. Fetal weight and the average crown-rump length per litter were increased in the LFN group. Conclusion: Post-IDA gestationa further exacerbates iron deficiency anemia. Prophylactic iron supplementation can only significantly improve physiological iron deficiency and iron metabolism in pregnancy, but cannot improve iron deficiency anemia. Iron supplementation can significantly improve iron deficiency anemia in post-IDA gestationa. To prevent or treat pregnancy complicated by IDA, iron supplementation is recommended before the onset of IDA or after pregnancy. Pregnancy anemia, iron deficiency anemia, iron metabolism, iron supplements
Keywords: Pregnancy anemia, iron deficiency anemia, iron metabolism, Iron supplements, Fertility
Received: 20 Jun 2025; Accepted: 11 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Lai, Liu, Liu, Liping and Zou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Qu Liping, Chengdu University of Chinese Medicine, Cheng Du, China
Wenjun Zou, Chengdu University of Chinese Medicine, Cheng Du, China
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