scholarly journals Relationship of serum carotenoids and retinol with anaemia among pre-school children in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam

2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1863-1869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Cong Khan ◽  
Phan Van Huan ◽  
Nguyen Van Nhien ◽  
Le Danh Tuyen ◽  
Saskia de Pee ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveTo characterize the relationship between serum carotenoids, retinol and anaemia among pre-school children.DesignA cross-sectional study was conducted in two groups: anaemic and non-anaemic. Serum levels of retinol, α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin were measured in the study subjects.SettingSix rural communes of Dinh Hoa, a rural and mountainous district in Thai Nguyen Province, in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam.SubjectsA total of 682 pre-school children, aged 12–72 months, were recruited.ResultsGeometric mean serum concentrations of carotenoids (μmol/l) were 0·056 for α-carotene, 0·161 for β-carotene, 0·145 for β-cryptoxanthin, 0·078 for lycopene, 0·388 for lutein and 0·075 for zeaxanthin. The mean levels of Hb and serum retinol were 108·8 g/l and 1·02 μmol/l, respectively. The prevalence of anaemia and vitamin A deficiency was 53·7 % and 7·8 %, respectively. After adjusting for sex and stunting, serum retinol concentrations (μmol/l; OR = 2·06, 95 % CI 1·10, 3·86, P = 0·024) and total provitamin A carotenoids (μmol/l; OR = 1·52, 95 % CI 1·01, 2·28, P = 0·046) were independently associated with anaemia, but non-provitamin A carotenoids (μmol/l; OR = 0·93, 95 % CI 0·63, 1·37, P = 0·710) were not associated with anaemia.ConclusionsAmong pre-school children in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam, the prevalences of vitamin A deficiency and anaemia are high, and serum retinol and provitamin A carotenoids are independently associated with anaemia. Further studies are needed to determine if increased consumption of provitamin A carotenoids will reduce anaemia among pre-school children.

2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 342-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie A. Howe ◽  
Bussie Maziya-Dixon ◽  
Sherry A. Tanumihardjo

Efforts to increase β-carotene in cassava have been successful, but the ability of high-β-carotene cassava to prevent vitamin A deficiency has not been determined. Two studies investigated the bioefficacy of provitamin A in cassava and compared the effects of carotenoid content and variety on vitamin A status in vitamin A-depleted Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). Gerbils were fed a vitamin A-free diet 4 weeks prior to treatment. In Expt 1, treatments (ten gerbils per group) included 45 % high-β-carotene cassava, β-carotene and vitamin A supplements (intake matched to high-β-carotene cassava group), and oil control. In Expt 2, gerbils were fed cassava feeds with 1·8 or 4·3 nmol provitamin A/g prepared with two varieties. Gerbils were killed after 4 weeks. For Expt 1, liver vitamin A was higher (P < 0·05) in the vitamin A (1·45 (sd 0·23) μmol/liver), lower in the control (0·43 (sd 0·10) μmol/liver), but did not differ from the β-carotene group (0·77 (sd 0·12) μmol/liver) when compared with the high-β-carotene cassava group (0·69 (sd 0·20) μmol/liver). The bioconversion factor was 3·7 μg β-carotene to 1 μg retinol (2 mol:1 mol), despite 48 % cis-β-carotene [(Z)-β-carotene] composition in cassava. In Expt 2, cassava feed with 4·3 nmol provitamin A/g maintained vitamin A status. No effect of cassava variety was observed. Serum retinol concentrations did not differ. β-Carotene was detected in livers of gerbils receiving cassava and supplements, but the cis-to-trans ratio in liver differed from intake. Biofortified cassava adequately maintained vitamin A status and was as efficacious as β-carotene supplementation in the gerbil model.


Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Bationo ◽  
Augustin Zeba ◽  
Souheila Abbeddou ◽  
Nadine Coulibaly ◽  
Olivier Sombier ◽  
...  

The health benefits of fruits and vegetables are well-documented. Those rich in provitamin A carotenoids are good sources of vitamin A. This cross-sectional study indirectly assessed fruit and vegetable intakes using serum carotenoids in 193 schoolchildren aged 7 to 12 years in the Western part of Burkina Faso. The mean total serum carotenoid concentration was 0.23 ± 0.29 µmol/L, which included α- and β-carotene, lutein, and β-cryptoxanthin, and determined with serum retinol concentrations in a single analysis with high performance liquid chromatography. Serum retinol concentration was 0.80 ± 0.35 µmol/L with 46% of children (n = 88) having low values <0.7 µmol/L. Total serum carotene (the sum of α- and β-carotene) concentration was 0.13 ± 0.24 µmol/L, well below the reference range of 0.9–3.7 µmol carotene/L used to assess habitual intake of fruits and vegetables. Individual carotenoid concentrations were determined for α-carotene (0.01 ± 0.05 µmol/L), β-carotene (0.17 ± 0.24 µmol/L), β-cryptoxanthin (0.07 ± 0.06 µmol/L), and lutein (0.06 ± 0.05 µmol/L). These results confirm the previously measured high prevalence of low serum vitamin A concentrations and adds information about low serum carotenoids among schoolchildren suggesting that they have low intakes of provitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables.


2017 ◽  
Vol 242 (15) ◽  
pp. 1508-1514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse Sheftel ◽  
Bryan M Gannon ◽  
Christopher R Davis ◽  
Sherry A Tanumihardjo

Plants that undergo C4 photosynthesis, such as maize, are enriched in the stable isotope of carbon (13C) compared with other dietary plants and foods. Consumption of maize that has been biofortified to contain elevated levels of provitamin A carotenoids (orange maize) increased the abundance of 13C in serum retinol of Mongolian gerbils. We evaluated this method in humans to determine if it has potential for further use in intervention effectiveness studies. A random subset of samples from a two-month randomized controlled feeding trial of rural three- to five-year old Zambian children were used to determine the impact of orange maize intake on serum carotenoid concentrations ( n = 88) and 13C-natural abundance in serum retinol ( n = 77). Concentrations of β-cryptoxanthin (a xanthophyll provitamin A carotenoid) and the dihydroxy xanthophylls lutein and zeaxanthin, which do not have vitamin A activity, were elevated in children consuming orange maize compared with those consuming a white maize control ( P < 0.001), while β-carotene was not different ( P > 0.3). Furthermore, 13C natural abundance was higher after two months’ intervention in the orange maize group compared with the white maize group ( P = 0.049). Predictions made from equations developed in the aforementioned gerbil study estimated that maize provided 11% (2–21%, 95% confidence interval) of the recent dietary vitamin A to these children. These results demonstrate that orange maize is efficacious at providing retinol to the vitamin A pool in children through provitamin A carotenoids, as monitored by the change in 13C enrichment, which was not reflected in serum β-carotene concentrations. Further effectiveness studies in countries who have adopted orange maize should consider determining differences in retinol 13C-enrichment among target groups in addition to profiling serum xanthophyll carotenoids with specific emphasis on zeaxanthin. Impact statement Maize biofortified with provitamin A carotenoids (orange) has been released in some African markets. Responsive and sensitive methods to evaluate dissemination effectiveness are needed. This study investigated methods to evaluate effectiveness of orange maize consumption using serum from Zambian children fed orange maize for two months. Many varieties of orange maize contain higher amounts of the xanthophyll carotenoids in addition to β-carotene compared with typical varieties. This study uniquely showed higher concentrations of the maize xanthophylls lutein, zeaxanthin, and β-cryptoxanthin in children who consumed orange maize compared with white. Furthermore, maize is a C4 plant and is therefore naturally enriched with 13C. Higher 13C was detected in the serum retinol of the orange maize consumers with no change in serum β-carotene concentration suggesting preferential bioconversion to retinol. The combined analyses of serum zeaxanthin specifically and 13C-natural abundance of retinol could prove useful in effectiveness studies between orange maize adopters and non-adopters.


2014 ◽  
Vol 84 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 25-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangwen Tang

Humans need vitamin A and obtain essential vitamin A by conversion of plant foods rich in provitamin A and/or absorption of preformed vitamin A from foods of animal origin. The determination of the vitamin A value of plant foods rich in provitamin A is important but has challenges. The aim of this paper is to review the progress over last 80 years following the discovery on the conversion of β-carotene to vitamin A and the various techniques including stable isotope technologies that have been developed to determine vitamin A values of plant provitamin A (mainly β-carotene). These include applications from using radioactive β-carotene and vitamin A, depletion-repletion with vitamin A and β-carotene, and measuring postprandial chylomicron fractions after feeding a β-carotene rich diet, to using stable isotopes as tracers to follow the absorption and conversion of plant food provitamin A carotenoids (mainly β-carotene) in humans. These approaches have greatly promoted our understanding of the absorption and conversion of β-carotene to vitamin A. Stable isotope labeled plant foods are useful for determining the overall bioavailability of provitamin A carotenoids from specific foods. Locally obtained plant foods can provide vitamin A and prevent deficiency of vitamin A, a remaining worldwide concern.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice Nakhauka Ekesa ◽  
Judith Kimiywe ◽  
Inge Van den Bergh ◽  
Guy Blomme ◽  
Claudie Dhuique-Mayer ◽  
...  

<p>Changes in the concentrations and retention levels of total and individual provitamin A carotenoids (pVACs) during ripening and local processing of the four most popular <em>Musa</em> cultivars of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were established through HPLC analysis. The predominant pVACs were all <em>trans</em> ?- and ?-carotene, together constituting about 90% of total pVACs content in raw and processed <em>Musa</em> fruit pulp. The proportion of ?- and ?-carotene was not significantly different in the tested East African Highland Bananas (AAA-EAHB) (‘Nshikazi’ and ‘Vulambya’); in the plantains (‘Musilongo’ and ‘Musheba’), proportion of ?-carotene was almost twice that of ?-carotene. An increase in total pVACs was observed during ripening, with highest levels at ripening stage 3 in all four cultivars. Total pVACs values were as high as 1081µg/100gfw in ‘Vulambya’ and 1819µg/100gfw in ‘Musilongo’. Boiling of the AAA-EAHB and AAB-Plantains resulted to retention of between 40-90% and &gt;95% respectively. Plantains deep-fried in fully-refined palm oil and crude red palm oil for 2 minutes did not seem to lose any pVACs, the levels of total pVACs observed after frying were 100% of what was observed when the fruit was raw. Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE), in boiled products varied between 22.3 and 173 RAEµg/100gfw, whereas deep fried products had &gt;190 RAEµg/100g edible portion. These results show that the tested AAA-EAHBs and the plantains could meet at least 14% and 30 % of Vitamin A recommended dietary intakes respectively. The findings can therefore guide consumer consumption patterns to maximize vitamin A intake for improved health in these regions and also direct researchers in the selection of <em>Musa</em> cultivars to be incorporated within existing farming systems in the fight against vitamin A deficiency (VAD).</p>


2008 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
pp. 794-797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pulin C. Sarma ◽  
Bhabesh C. Goswami ◽  
Krishna Gogoi ◽  
Harsha Bhattacharjee ◽  
Arun B. Barua

The objective of the present study was to determine marginal vitamin A deficiency (VAD) by testing the hydrolysis of retinoyl glucuronide (RAG) to retinoic acid (RA) in children. Previous studies in rats showed that hydrolysis occurred when rats were vitamin A deficient. Children (n 61) aged 3–18 years, were divided into two groups, I and II. Blood was collected from the children in Group I (n 19) who were not dosed with RAG. Children in Group II (n 42) were administered all-trans retinoyl glucuronide (RAG) orally, and blood was collected 4 h after the dose. All serum samples were analysed for retinoids and carotenoids. RA was detected in serum only when serum retinol was < 0·85 μmol/l. Thus, hydrolysis of RAG to RA occurred in children with VAD or marginal VAD. Serum retinol was < 0·35 μmol/l in twenty-one children, 0·35–0·7 μmol/l in twenty-three children, 0·7–0·9 μmol/l in eleven children and >1 μmol/l in six children. Mean serum retinol in sixty-one children was 0·522 (sd 0·315) μmol/l. Mean β-carotene (0·016 (sd 0·015) μmol/l) was far below normal compared to the level of lutein (0·176 (sd 0·10) μmol/l) in sixty-one children. A low β-carotene level might be due to a low intake of carotene but high demand for vitamin A. The RAG hydrolysis test may prove to be a useful approach for the determination of marginal VAD with no clinical or subclinical signs of VAD. High prevalence of VAD amongst certain communities in Assam cannot be ruled out.


2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dixis Figueroa Pedraza ◽  
Márcia Cristina Sales

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the isolated and combined prevalence of anemia, vitamin A deficiency and zinc deficiency in pre-school children, as well as the distribution of isolated deficiencies according to gender, age and prior supplementation with vitamin A. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with pre-school children in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. Analysis of the average concentrations of hemoglobin, serum retinol and serum zinc, according to gender, age and previous vitamin A supplementation of children were carried out as well as the risk of simultaneous occurrence of micronutrient deficiencies in the presence of these deficiencies. RESULTS: The prevalence of anemia, vitamin A deficiency and zinc deficiency were 15.4%, 23.3% and 13.8%, respectively. The anemia was significantly associated with age (p<0.01). Children previously supplemented by vitamin A had higher serum retinol concentrations than children without supplements, an effect that was not observed for concentrations of hemoglobin or serum zinc. The prevalence of anemia associated with vitamin A deficiency was 5.8%, with the chance of vitamin A deficiency and anemia coexist 2.21 times (95%CI=1.03-4.84) higher in the case of vitamin A deficiency or anemia rather than in the absence of these conditions. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies which are important in child growth, as well as the coexistence of nutritional deficiencies, point out the need to strengthen nutrition intervention strategies that consider this issue.


2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (sup1) ◽  
pp. s43-s50 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. van Stuijvenberg ◽  
M. Faber ◽  
M. A. Dhansay ◽  
C. J. Lombard ◽  
N. Vorster ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Endang Achadi ◽  
Siti Arifah ◽  
Siti Muslimatun ◽  
Trisari Anggondowati ◽  
Asih Setiarini

Di Indonesia, kekurangan Vitamin A masih menjadi masalah kesehatan masyarakat yang penting seperti terlihat pada balita penderita vitamin A defisiensi subklinis yang tinggi (50%). Hal tersebut akan berpengaruh terhadap berbagai fungsi tubuh yang antara lain meliputi sistem imun, penglihatan, sistem reproduksi dan diferensiasi sel. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui kontribusi konsumsi minyak yang diperkaya vitamin A dalam memperbaiki status vitamin A dan hemoglobin balita. Penelitian dengan disain studi intervensi Before-After ini dilaksanakan pada anak sehat berusia 7-10 tahun yang diberi obat cacing sebelum intervensi dilakukan. Pengukuran serum retinol dan hemoglobin dilakukan sebelum dan 3 bulan setelah intervensi . Minyak yang difortifikasi vitamin A telah disediakan di warung/ toko di sekitar tempat tinggal responden. Untuk meningkatkan demand, penelitian ini dilengkapi dengan pendekatan pemasaran sosial yang dilakukan pihak lain. Secara umum tidak terlihat perubahan status gizi, tetapi prevalensi anemia turun dari 21,8% menjadi 11,6%. Sementara, prevalens vitamin A defisiensi ditemukan lebih rendah pada anak yang mengkonsumsi ³12 minggu (26,6%) daripada yang mengkonsumsi < 12 minggu (42%) . Hasil tersebut dapat dijadikan pertimbangan untuk merekomendasikan agar minyak difortifikasi vitamin A.Kata kunci: Defisiensi vitamin A, anak sekolah, minyak fortifikasiAbstractVitamin A deficiency (VAD) remains as one of significant public health problems in Indonesia. Around 50% of under five children are suffering from subclinical VAD. Deficiency of vitamin A will affect several important role in the body, such as immune system, vision, reproductive system and cell differentiation. Therefore, guarding Indonesian children to be free from VAD is crucial for their quality as Human Resources. We assessed the impact of the consumption of vitamin A fortified cooking oil on the improvement of vitamin A and hemoglobin status among school children in urban slum area in Makassar City. The study was an intervention design Before-After. Healthy school children 7-10 years were selected from schools and de-wormed before the intervention. Serum retinol and hemoglobin was measured at baseline and at 3 months after. Fortified oil was made available through distribution at shops and accompanied with social marketing. Eventhough overall there was no change in VAD prevalence, the VAD prevalence is lower among children who consumedfortified oil ³12 weeks (26.6%) compared to those who consumed <12 weeks (42%). Prevalence of anemia decreased from 21.8% to 11.6%. We recommended that fortified oil is made mandatory.Key words: Vitamin A deficiency, school children, fortified oil


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