Fluoride Ingestion Induces Formation of Unusual Macromolecular Complexes in Gut Lumen Which Retard Absorption of Essential Minerals and Trace Elements by Chelation.

This study investigates the impact of chronic fluoride exposure on the absorption of essential minerals in the gut and explores the mechanisms underlying mineral deficiencies due to fluoride ingestion. Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups: group 1 (G-1) served as the control (non-fluoride exposed), while group 2 (G-2) and group 3 (G-3) received human equivalent doses (HED) of fluoride (50 and 100 ppm ad libitum, corresponding to 5 and 10 ppm in humans, respectively) for 75 days. Serum fluoride concentrations were measured, and the levels of essential minerals and trace elements in blood and stool were analyzed using ICP-MS. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was performed on stool samples to identify chemical compounds. The chemical compounds and macromolecular complexes containing fluoride and essential minerals were identified and quantified using Match3 software. Results indicated that the blood concentrations of essential minerals were significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05) in the fluoride-exposed groups compared to the control, while excretion of essential elements in stool was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) in the fluoride-administered groups. XRD analysis revealed the formation of unusual macromolecular chemical complexes in the stool of fluoride-treated groups, with the types and concentrations of these compounds increasing with higher fluoride doses. The study concludes that fluoride in the stomach chelates minerals, reducing their absorption, and induces the formation of unusual high molecular weight macromolecular chelation complexes, which alter the chemical species in the gut and further impair the absorption of essential minerals.