Successful oral chelation of iron from a Malayan flying fox

Citation

Sullivan K, Swanhall A, Livingston S, Huffstodt E, Daneault R, and Mylniczenko N. 2025. Successful oral chelation of iron from a Malayan flying fox. In Treiber K, Brooks M, D’amato-Anderson J, Nylander J, Eds. Proceedings of the Sixteenth Conference on Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition, AZA Nutrition Advisory Group, Oklahoma City, OK.

Abstract

Frugivorous bat species have been documented with diet-associated iron storage disease (Lavin et al., 2010; Stasiak et al., 2018), with high iron in the liver and disease complications related to excess iron in circulation. Under human care, bats primarily consume high vitamin C fruits in their diet, as well as versions of a complete pelleted diet, often for primates. Male flying foxes in the colony at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® were documented (9/11 foxes) with elevated serum iron and iron saturation over 60%.

In a preliminary trial, the iron specific chelator HBED (N,N’-Di (2-hydroxybenzyl) ethylenediamine-N,N’-diacetic acid) was given orally to a single flying fox daily during a feasible time for a treatment trial (January to May 2025). Clean caught urine was collected once weekly throughout HBED administration, along with controls before and after. HBED was offered and 100% consumed at 80 mg/kg BW mixed with a teaspoon of sugar-free syrup. The treatment dose was tapered up from 40 mg/kg within one week at the start and then back down to zero in the last two weeks of the trial. The individual tested remained in good health throughout the HBED administration. Urine was measured for iron bound to HBED, HBED, creatinine, and trace mineral panel. HBED and iron bound to HBED were found in the urine only when supplemented, though iron alone was not, indicating effective chelation. HBED bound to iron showed average excretion of 8.4 ± 2.7 µmol/L, and was as high as 40 µmol/L, though total volume of urine excreted was not able to be measured. Serum iron saturation decreased from 60 to 55% after treatment. Documented excretion of chelated urinary iron provides initial proof of concept of a method for chelating flying foxes, and justification for future treatment.

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