scholarly journals Vitamin B9 in Dark Green Vegetables: Deficiency Disorders, Bio-Availability, and Fortification Issues

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jagdish Singh
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Natural Food ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Vitamin B9 ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
Turnip Green ◽  
Dark Green ◽  
Food Folate

Folic acid is a B complex water-soluble vitamin that is essential to humans, and its deficiency can cause problems including neural tube defects as well as heart-related diseases. An important feature of such vitamins is that they are generally not synthesized by mammalian cells and therefore must be supplied in sufficient amounts in the diet. Folate is a generic term for compounds, possessing vitamin activity similar to that of pteroylglutamic acid, and is the form of the vitamin, which is naturally present in foods. The main dietary sources of folic acid are dark green and leafy vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, romaine lettuce, broccoli, bok choy, turnip green, beet, dried or fresh beans, and peas. The amount of folate that is absorbed and utilized physiologically varies among different food sources and different chemical forms of the vitamin. About 85% of folic acid is estimated to be bioavailable; however, the bioavailability of food folate is estimated at about 50% of folic acid. Several national health authorities have introduced mandatory food fortification with synthetic folic acid, which is considered a convenient fortificant, being cost efficient in production, more stable than natural food folate, and superior in terms of bioavailability and bio-efficacy. Presently, many countries affected by diseases associated with a lack of folic acid have made it mandatory to supplement foods with the vitamin. Considering the need, several analytical procedures were standardized to determine the presence of folic acid in different food matrices. The reported methods are simple, selective, robust, and reproducible and can be used in routine analyses.

scholarly journals Laying hens can convert high doses of folic acid added to the feed into natural folates in eggs providing a novel source of food folate

2008 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leane Hoey ◽  
Helene McNulty ◽  
Elizabeth M. E. McCann ◽  
Kelvin J. McCracken ◽  
John M. Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Laying Hens ◽  
Optimal Dose ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Natural Food ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Green Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
High Doses ◽  
Food Folate

There are few good sources of natural food folates apart from green leafy vegetables and these may have a limited potential to increase folate status because of substantial losses that can occur during cooking. Fortified foods can overcome this but are controversial because of safety concerns regarding chronic exposure to high-dose folic acid (FA; the synthetic form). The aim of the present study was to develop eggs with an enriched natural folate content and minimal unmetabolised FA. Forty-eight, 30-week-old laying hens were randomised to receive the basal feed (formulated to provide 1 mg folate/kg feed) to which had been added one of the following FA levels (0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 mg/kg feed). Total folate was measured in eggs collected throughout the 12-week study period and the FA content estimated at 12 weeks. Results showed that the maximal egg folate content was achieved by adding 16 mg FA/kg feed. At this optimal dose, the total folate content per egg was 75 μg (compared with 32 μg in a regular egg) of which FA represented at most 10 %, a level which would probably be converted into natural folates by humans after ingestion. The results demonstrate that it is possible to use synthetic FA at high doses to produce novel animal foods enriched with natural folates in a cost-efficient process. Such foods may be particularly relevant to European populations without access to FA fortification and therefore dependent on natural food folate sources for the primary prevention of folate-related disease.

scholarly journals Folic acid – role in the body, recommendations and clinical significance

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneta Myszczyszyn ◽  
Rafał Krajewski ◽  
Monika Ostapów ◽  
Lidia Hirnle
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Folic Acid Supplementation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Congenital Defects ◽  
Natural Form ◽  
Vitamin B9 ◽  
Increased Risk

AbstractIntroduction. Folic acid is a compound classified as B group vitamins. In the body it is subject to processes that transfer its inactive form into a form responsible for biological effects of folic acid, i.e. 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF). It is, in particular, responsible for processes of the correct biosynthesis of purine and pyridine bases present in the formation of DNA and RNA molecules. Humans do not synthesize the endogenous form of folic acid; therefore, it is vital to supplement this vitamin in its natural form or multivitamin preparations. The most folic acid is found in the green leafy vegetables (spinach, peas, asparagus) and in offal (liver). An adequate supply of folic acid is especially indicated in pregnant women with a reduced amount of folic acid due to its use by an intensively developing foetus. The recommended dose of folic acid during this period is 0.4 mg/24h and this dose varies depending on the patient’s and her family’s medical history. The updated state of knowledge on the role of vitamin B9 in the body has been presented. The importance of its supplementation in specific clinical cases was analyzed.Summary. Many studies indicate an important role of the folic acid in the prevention of congenital defects of the nervous, cardiovascular and urogenital systems. Its deficiency increases the risk of complications in pregnancy, such as recurrent miscarriages, pre-eclampsia or postpartum haemorrhage. For this reason, a prophylactic folic acid supplementation is recommended, in women with increased risk of its deficiency, in particular.

scholarly journals Folic acid and diseases - supplement it or not?

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siaw-Cheok Liew
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Folic Acid Supplementation ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Serum Folate ◽  
Green Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Water Soluble Vitamin ◽  
Folic Acid Supplements ◽  
Dark Green ◽  
Meta Analyses

SUMMARY Introduction: folic acid is a water soluble vitamin, which is synthetically-produced and found in fortified foods and supplements. Folate is found naturally in plants, such as the dark green leafy vegetables. Folate is not synthesizedde novo by humans, therefore the daily requirements are met from the dietary intake of folic acid supplements or food rich in this vitamin. Folate deficiency could lead to numerous common health problems. Hyperhomocysteinemia and the possibility of malignancy developments are the long term consequences of this deficit albeit contradictory findings on these claims. Methods: the articles included in this review focused on recent updated evidence-based reports and meta-analyses on the associations of the serum folate/folic acid and the various diseases found globally. Results: the benefit of folic acid supplementation in the pre-conception period for the prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs) was well established and it was suggested that counseling sessions should be given to women with previous pregnancies affected by NTDs. However, supplementation of folic acid and its medicinal effects in the treatment of other diseases were contradictory and unclear. Conclusion: more detailed investigations into the health benefits of folic acid are needed before it could be recommended for supplementation, treatment or prevention of some of the diseases discussed in this review.

scholarly journals Comparison of (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acidv.folic acid as the reference folate in longer-term human dietary intervention studies assessing the relative bioavailability of natural food folates: comparative changes in folate status following a 16-week placebo-controlled study in healthy adults

2009 ◽  
Vol 103 (5) ◽  
pp. 724-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony J. A. Wright ◽  
Maria J. King ◽  
Caroline A. Wolfe ◽  
Hilary J. Powers ◽  
Paul M. Finglas
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Relative Bioavailability ◽  
Food Group ◽  
Relative Increase ◽  
Natural Food ◽  
Folate Concentration ◽  
Folate Status ◽  
Erythrocyte Folate ◽  
Food Folate

Folic acid (pteroylmonoglutamic acid) has historically been used as the reference folate in human intervention studies assessing the relative bioavailability of dietary folate. Recent studies using labelled folates indicated different plasma response kinetics to folic acid than to natural (food) folates, thus obviously precluding its use in single-dose experiments. Since differences in tissue distribution and site of biotransformation were hypothesised, the question is whether folic acid remains suitable as a reference folate for longer-term intervention studies, where the relative bioavailability of natural (food) folate is assessed based on changes in folate status. Healthy adults aged 18–65 years (n163) completed a 16-week placebo-controlled intervention study in which the relative bioavailability of increased folate intake (453 nmol/d) from folate-rich foods was assessed by comparing changes in plasma and erythrocyte folate concentration with changes induced by an equal reference dose of supplemental (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid or folic acid. The relative increase in plasma folate concentration in the food group was 31 % when compared with that induced by folic acid, but 39 % when compared with (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid. The relative increase in erythrocyte folate concentration in the food group when compared with that induced by folic acid was 43 %, and 40 % when compared with (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid. When recent published observations were additionally taken into account it was concluded that, in principle, folic acid should not be used as the reference folate when attempting to estimate relative natural (food) folate bioavailability in longer-term human intervention studies. Using (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid as the reference folate would avoid future results' validity being questioned.

scholarly journals UV/Vis absorption spectroelectrochemistry of folic acid

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Olmo ◽  
A. Rodriguez ◽  
A. Colina ◽  
A. Heras
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Optical Signal ◽  
Oxidation Products ◽  
Basic Medium ◽  
Analytical Technique ◽  
Pharmaceutical Tablets ◽  
Solution Interface ◽  
Vitamin B9 ◽  
Analytical Protocol ◽  
Parallel Configuration

AbstractUV/Vis absorption spectroelectrochemistry is a very promising analytical technique due to the complementary information that is simultaneously obtained from electrochemistry and spectroscopy. In this work, this technique is used in a parallel configuration to study the oxidation of folic acid in alkaline medium. Herein, UV/Vis absorption spectroelectrochemistry has been used to detect both the oxidation products and the folic acid consumed at the electrode/solution interface, allowing us to develop an analytical protocol to quantify vitamin B9 in pharmaceutical tablets. Linear ranges of three orders of magnitude have been achieved in basic medium (pH = 12.9), obtaining high repeatability and low detection limits. The spectroelectrochemical determination of folic acid in pharmaceutical tablets at alkaline pH values is particularly interesting because of the changes that occur in the optical signal during the electrochemical oxidation of FA, providing results with very good figures of merit and demonstrating the utility and versatility of this hyphenated technique, UV/Vis absorption spectroelectrochemistry.

scholarly journals Determinants and Suitability of Carotenoid Reflection Score as a Measure of Carotenoid Status

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Rush ◽  
Isaac Amoah ◽  
Tung Diep ◽  
Shabnam Jalili-Moghaddam
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Carotenoid Concentration ◽  
Dairy Foods ◽  
Green Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Dark Green ◽  
Negative Health Outcomes

Carotenoids, orange-coloured pigments found in vegetables, fruit, eggs and dairy foods, act as antioxidants and vitamin A precursors in the human body. Skin carotenoid concentration is a biomarker of vegetable and fruit intake. The aim was to identify determinants of skin carotenoid concentration by measuring “Veggie Meter™” carotenoid reflection spectroscopy scores (CRS) from the fingertip of adults with a range of ages, ethnicity and body size. Frequencies of daily intake of vegetables and fruit and weekly intake of pumpkin and carrot, dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV), eggs (yolk), and dairy were determined from a self-completed food-frequency-questionnaire. A total of 571 (324 Women, 247 Men) adults, aged 16 to 85 years, completed measurements. The CRS ranged from 83 to 769, with a median of 327. Women and men did not score differently. For all participants there were negative correlations of CRS with weight (r = −0.312) and BMI (r = −0.338) and positive correlations with weekly intakes of DGLV (r = 0.242) and carrots and pumpkin (r = 0.202). Based on a review of health outcomes associated with plasma carotenoids, 82% of the participants in the current study are at moderate risk, or more, of negative health outcomes. Determinants of carotenoid status were body size, intake of DGLV, carrots and pumpkin, and ethnicity.

scholarly journals Dietary Diversity in Cambodian Garment Workers: The Role of Free Lunch Provision

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Makurat ◽  
Eleonore Kretz ◽  
Frank Wieringa ◽  
Chhoun Chamnan ◽  
Michael Krawinkel
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Green Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Garment Workers ◽  
Dark Green ◽  
Randomised Controlled

The objective of this paper is to compare food consumption by Cambodian garment workers with and without access to a free model lunch provision through a factory-based canteen. Data from an exploratory randomised controlled trial were analysed. In total, 223 female Cambodian garment workers were allocated to an intervention arm (six-month lunch provision) or a control arm. Dietary intake on workdays was assessed by qualitative 24-h recalls at baseline and twice at follow-ups during the period of lunch provision using the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) guideline on assessing women’s dietary diversity. In total, 158 participants provided complete data on the dietary intake over workdays at all interviews. Lunch provision resulted in a more frequent consumption of dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV), vitamin A-rich fruits, other fruits, and oils and fats during lunch breaks. In contrast, flesh meats, legumes, nuts and seeds, as well as sweets, were eaten at a lower frequency. Except for a higher consumption rate of vitamin A-rich fruits and a lower intake frequency of sweets, lunch provision had a less clear impact on total 24-h intake from different food groups and was not associated with a higher women’s dietary diversity score (WDDS). A more gap-oriented design of the lunch sets taking into account underutilised foods and the nutritional status of the workers is recommended.

scholarly journals Relationship between Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid), Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin), and Peripheral Neuropathy in Children with Beta-Thalassemia Major

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Uni Gamayani ◽  
Titin Junaidi ◽  
Nushrotul Lailiyya ◽  
Nur Suryawan ◽  
Nanan Sekarwana
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Peripheral Neuropathy ◽  
Vitamin B12 ◽  
Thalassemia Major ◽  
Beta Thalassemia ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Case Group ◽  
Beta Thalassemia Major ◽  
Vitamin B9 ◽  
Significant Difference

Vitamin B9 (folic acid) and B12 (cobalamin) are essential vitamins that play roles in the process of hematopoiesis and maintaining the function of peripheral nerves. Therefore, these deficiencies may create a risk for peripheral neuropathy in beta-thalassemia major patients. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between vitamin B9 level, vitamin B12 level, and peripheral neuropathy in beta-thalassemia major children. It was an observational analytical study with a case-control design has been conducted at Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung, Indonesia, in May–July 2019. There were 47 beta-thalassemia major children with peripheral neuropathy (case) and 41 healthy children (control). All subjects completed a general demographic questionnaire, underwent neurological examination, and were tested for vitamin B9 and B12 serum levels. Data were then analyzed using the unpaired t test to compare the vitamin levels between both groups and Spearman’s rank correlation test to investigate the correlation between vitamin levels and the number of affected nerves in the case group. Comparison of folic acid levels in the case group (21.52±6.22 ng/mL) and the control group (23.81±7.51 ng/mL) showed no significant difference (p=0.19). In contrast, cobalamin in the case group (288.57±168.61 ng/mL) and the control group (385.95±197.48 ng/mL) showed a significant difference (p=0.01). In addition, there was a moderate correlation (p=0.004, r=0.41) between folic acid level and the number of motoric nerves affected in the case group. In conclusion, cobalamin level correlates with peripheral neuropathy in beta-thalassemia major patients, and folic acid level correlates with the number of affected nerves, especially motoric nerves. HUBUNGAN ANTARA VITAMIN B9 (ASAM FOLAT), VITAMIN B12 (KOBALAMIN), DAN NEUROPATI PERIFER PADA ANAK DENGAN TALASEMIA BETA MAYORVitamin B9 (asam folat) dan B12 (kobalamin) merupakan vitamin esensial yang berperan dalam proses hematopoiesis dan menjaga fungsi saraf tepi. Defisiensi vitamin ini dapat menimbulkan risiko neuropati perifer pada pasien talasemia beta mayor. Tujuan penelitian ini mengetahui hubungan antara kadar vitamin B9, vitamin B12, dan neuropati perifer pada anak talasemia beta mayor. Metode penelitian ini adalah analitik observasional dengan rancangan studi kasus kontrol yang dilakukan di RSUP Dr. Hasan Sadikin Bandung, Indonesia pada Mei–Juli 2019. Terdapat 47 anak talasemia beta mayor dengan neuropati perifer (kelompok kasus) dan 41 anak sehat (kelompok kontrol). Seluruh subjek penelitian mengisi kuesioner demografi umum, menjalani pemeriksaan fisis neurologis, serta dilakukan tes kadar vitamin B9 dan B12 serum. Uji t test tidak berpasangan digunakan untuk membandingkan kadar vitamin pada kedua kelompok dan uji korelasi Spearman untuk membandingkan kadar kedua vitamin tersebut dengan jumlah saraf yang terkena pada kelompok kasus. Perbandingan kadar asam folat kelompok kasus (21,52±6,22 ng/mL) dan kelompok kontrol (23,81±7,51 ng/mL) menunjukkan perbedaan yang tidak bermakna (p=0,19), sedangkan perbandingan kadar kobalamin kelompok kasus (288,57±168,61 ng/mL) dan kelompok kontrol (385,95±197,48 ng/mL) menunjukkan perbedaan yang bermakna (p=0,01). Selain itu, terdapat korelasi sedang (p=0,004; r=0,41) antara kadar asam folat dam jumlah saraf motorik yang terkena pada kelompok kasus. Kesimpulan, kadar kobalamin berhubungan dengan neuropati perifer pada penderita talasemia beta mayor dan kadar asam folat berhubungan dengan jumlah saraf yang terkena, terutama saraf motorik.

Natural Food Folate and Late-Life Depression

2008 ◽  
Vol 108 (9) ◽  
pp. A35 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.E. Payne ◽  
B.D. Jamerson ◽  
C.F. Potocky ◽  
A.E. Ashley-Koch ◽  
M.C. Speer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Life ◽  
Natural Food ◽  
Late Life Depression ◽  
Food Folate

scholarly journals The contribution of dark-green leafy vegetables to total micronutrient intake of two- to five-year-old children in a rural setting

Water SA ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mieke Faber ◽  
Paul J. Van Jaarsveld ◽  
Ria Laubscher
Keyword(s):  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Green Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Micronutrient Intake ◽  
Dark Green
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