Ferric iron (Fe3+)

Ferric iron (Fe3+) is the trivalent oxidation state of iron and serves as an essential micronutrient required for fundamental biological processes, including DNA synthesis, electron transport in the mitochondria, and oxygen metabolism (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements). In extracellular environments such as blood plasma, ferric iron is strictly sequestered by transport proteins like transferrin to prevent the formation of toxic reactive oxygen species through the Fenton reaction and to limit its availability to invading pathogens (StatPearls: Iron Toxicity). In mucosal environments, particularly the gastrointestinal tract, ferric iron levels are a critical determinant of the gut microbiome composition, as many enteric pathogens rely on specialized scavenging molecules called siderophores to acquire iron for virulence (PubMed: PMID 26015570). Therapeutic interventions targeting ferric iron include the use of systemic chelators like deferoxamine to treat iron overload and oral binders like sucroferric oxyhydroxide to manage hyperphosphatemia in chronic kidney disease (FDA: Desferal Label; DrugBank: DB09073). Additionally, ferric iron formulations are frequently administered as supplements to correct iron deficiency anemia, though they must be carefully managed to avoid mucosal irritation and systemic toxicity (StatPearls: Iron Deficiency Anemia).

Other names

Iron (III)Trivalent ironNon-heme ironFe(III)Ferric ion

Chelation of ferric ions to form stable, water-soluble complexes for renal or biliary excretion; binding of dietary phosphate in the gastrointestinal tract to form insoluble ferric phosphate; supplementation to restore systemic iron stores in deficient states.