Using Volatile Organic Compounds to Investigate the Effect of Oral Iron Supplementation on the Human Intestinal Metabolome

Ahmed, Ammar, Slater, Rachael ORCID: 0000-0001-9765-6978, Lewis, Stephen and Probert, Chris ORCID: 0000-0003-0477-6714 (2020) Using Volatile Organic Compounds to Investigate the Effect of Oral Iron Supplementation on the Human Intestinal Metabolome MOLECULES, 25 (21). E5113-. ISSN 1420-3049, 1420-3049

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Abstract

Patients with iron deficiency anaemia are treated with oral iron supplementation, which is known to cause gastrointestinal side effects by likely interacting with the gut microbiome. To better study this impact on the microbiome, we investigated oral iron-driven changes in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the faecal metabolome. Stool samples from patients with iron deficiency anaemia were collected pre-and post-treatment (n = 45 and 32, respectively). Faecal headspace gas analysis was performed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and the changes in VOCs determined. We found that the abundance of short-chain fatty acids and esters fell, while aldehydes increased, after treatment. These changes in pre-vs. post-iron VOCs resemble those reported when the gut is inflamed. Our study shows that iron changes the intestinal metabolome, we suggest by altering the structure of the gut microbial community.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	iron deficiency anaemia, iron supplementation, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), intestinal metabolome, gut microbiome
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	04 Nov 2020 16:10
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2026 07:44
DOI:	10.3390/molecules25215113
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3106054
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