No abstract

Disorders due to iron (Fe) defi ciency are quite common in the world population, especially in developing countries. This has generated a considerable increase of research related to the Fe homeostasis on rats and mice animal models in the last years. For several decades the pig model has been used for Fe nutritional studies due to its physiological similarities with the human gastrointestinal tract, and several types of Fe supplementation have been tested on them. However, differences on the effects of some dietary compounds, which could enhance or inhibit the non-heme Fe absorption have been reported between pigs and humans. The newborn pig usually develops Fe defi ciency anemia in the perinatal period, being an ideal model for Fe nutrition studies. Therefore, the aim of this review was to update concepts about the absorption of heme and non-heme Fe, its homeostasis in pigs, and to establish similarities and differences with Fe human metabolism. Recent investigations that use the pig as a model for studies in Fe nutrition are also reviewed.