The Association of Higher Composite Biomarker Score of Antioxidant Vitamins with Lower Cardiovascular Diseases Risk: A Cross-Sectional Study

Biomarkers for the dietary system, which includes a mixed fruit and vegetable (FV), are needed to understand the association of FV intake with a reduction in cardiovascular diseases risk. This is a cross-sectional study that aims to find the potential relationship between a high composite score comprised of antioxidant vitamins and a lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). A total of 94 (42 males and 52 females) participants (mean age ± SD: 51.7 ± 9.4 years) completed a specific questionnaire including a quick food scan, which has designed by the American National Institutes of Health. The vitamins A, C, and E were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). An enzymatic colorimetric method was used to determine other biomarkers [fasting blood sugar (FBS), haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and lipid profile]. A Composite Biomarker Score (CBS) comprising of the plasma vitamins (A, C, and E) have been derived. The results showed that male participants demonstrated significantly higher atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk than female participants. Female participants with greater ASCVD risk were associated with significantly higher age, total cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations. Additionally, there is a significant relationship between the CBS with lower ASCVD risk. Consequently, it can be concluded that higher concentrations of serum antioxidant vitamins are related to a reduction in cardiovascular diseases risk.

Study of Antioxidants Vitamin E and Ascorbic Acid level in Pre-eclampsia and Normotensive Pregnant Women Attending the Antenatal Department of a Rural Hospital in Imo State South East Nigeria

Background: Deficiencies of nutrition are common during pregnancy especially in developing countries. Pregnant women in developing countries have been reported to consume diets that are low in minerals and vitamins. Inadequate dietary intake during pregnancy might be a high risk not only for the mother but also for the fetus. Deficiencies of antioxidant vitamins have been implicated in various reproductive disorders like infertility, congenital anomalies, pre-eclampsia, placental abruption, premature rupture of membranes, still births and low birth weight. Objective/Aim: This investigation was performed to compare the level of serum antioxidant vitamin E and Ascorbic Acid status in women with preeclampsia and normal pregnancy in Imo State. It was a randomized cross sectional study of 50 preeclampsia and 50 normotensive pregnant women attending the Dept. of Medicine and Antenatal clinic of specialist Hospital Umuguma, Owerri Imo State Nigeria. The study protocol was reviewed and the ethical committee and participants gave their consent. Data analysis was done using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. P-value of < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The mean antioxidant vitamins E and C were significantly lower in the preeclampsia group (0.29±0.07 and 0.31±0.20mg/dl) against the control (0.64±0.16 and 0.89±0.27mg/dl) P<0.05 respectively. Conclusion: The study showed significant decrease in the level of vitamin E and Ascorbic Acid suggesting the failure of compensatory antioxidant functions in preeclampsia women.

The Effects of Specific Omega-3 and Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Antioxidant Vitamins on Gait and Functional Capacity Parameters in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are characterized by, among other symptoms, impaired functional capacity and walking difficulties. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been found to improve MS patients’ clinical outcomes; however, their effect on other parameters associated with daily living activities need further investigation. The current study aimed to examine the effect of a 24-month supplementation with a cocktail dietary supplement formula, the NeuroaspisTM PLP10, containing specific omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs and specific antioxidant vitamins on gait and functional capacity parameters of patients with MS. Fifty-one relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients with low disability scores (age: 38.4 ± 7.1 years; 30 female) were randomized 1:1 to receive either a 20 mL daily dose of the dietary formula containing a mixture of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs (12,150 mg), vitamin A (0.6 mg), vitamin E (22 mg), and γ-tocopherol (760 mg), the OMEGA group (n = 27; age: 39 ± 8.3 years), or 20 mL placebo containing virgin olive oil, the placebo group (n = 24; age: 37.8 ± 5.3 years). The mean ± SD (standard deviation) Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score for the placebo group was 2.36 and for the OMEGA group 2.22. All enrolled patients in the study were on Interferon-b treatment. Spatiotemporal gait parameters and gait deviation index (GDI) were assessed using a motion capture system. Functional capacity was examined using various functional tests such as the six-minute walk test (6MWT), two sit-to-stand tests (STS-5 and STS-60), and the Timed Up and Go test (TUG). Isometric handgrip strength was assessed by a dynamometer. Leg strength was assessed using an isokinetic dynamometer. All assessments were performed at baseline and at 12 and 24 months of supplementation. A total of 36 patients completed the study (18 from each group). Six patients from the placebo group and 9 patients from the OMEGA group dropped out from the study or were lost to follow-up. The dietary supplement significantly improved the single support time and the step and stride time (p < 0.05), both spatiotemporal gait parameters. In addition, while GDI of the placebo group decreased by about 10% at 24 months, it increased by about 4% in the OMEGA group (p < 0.05). Moreover, performance in the STS-60 test improved in the OMEGA group (p < 0.05) and there was a tendency for improvement in the 6MWT and TUG tests. Long-term supplementation with high dosages of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs (compared to previous published clinical studies using PUFAs) and specific antioxidant vitamins improved some functional capacity and gait parameters in RRMS patients.

Effectiveness of Some Vitamins in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Narrative Review

By virtue of their regulatory role in various metabolic and biosynthetic pathways for energy status and cellular integrity, both hydro-soluble and lipo-soluble vitamins are considered to be involved in maintaining cardiovascular function in health and disease. Deficiency of some vitamins such as vitamin A, B6, folic acid, C, D, and E has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular abnormalities whereas supplementation with these vitamins has been claimed to reduce cardiovascular risk for hypertension, atherosclerosis, myocardial ischemia, arrhythmias, and heart failure. However, the data from several experimental and clinical studies for the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease due to vitamin deficiency as well as therapy due to different vitamins are conflicting. In this article, we have attempted to review the existing literature on the role of different vitamins in cardiovascular disease with respect to their deficiency and supplementation in addition to examining some issues regarding their involvement in heart disease. Although both epidemiological and observational studies have shown some merit in the use of different antioxidant vitamins for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders, the results are not conclusive. Furthermore, in view of the complexities in the mechanisms of different cardiovascular disorders, no apparent involvement of any particular vitamin was seen in any specific cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, we have reviewed the evidence that deficiency of vitamin B6 promoted KCl-induced Ca2+ entry and reduced ATP-induced Ca2+-entry in cardiomyocytes in addition to decreasing sarcolemmal (SL) ATP binding. The active metabolite of vitamin B6, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate, attenuated arrhythmias due to myocardial infarction (MI) as well as cardiac dysfunction and defects in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-transport in the ischemic-reperfused hearts. These observations indicate that both deficiency of some vitamins as well as pretreatments with different vitamins showing antioxidant activity affect cardiac function, metabolism and cation transport, and support the view that antioxidant vitamins or their metabolites may be involved in the prevention rather than the therapy of cardiovascular disease.

Association between dietary antioxidant vitamins intake and homocysteine levels in middle-aged and older adults with hypertension: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesPlasma total homocysteine (tHcy) has been implicated in the development of cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to assess the relationship of dietary antioxidant vitamins intake with tHcy levels in middle-aged and older adults with hypertension.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingThe survey was conducted in the Nanshan district of Shenzhen.ParticipantsA total of 1465 middle-aged and older adults with hypertension were included between July and September of 2013.MeasurementsHyperhomocysteinaemia (HHcy) was defined as tHcy ≥15 µmol/L. Some dietary antioxidant vitamins (vitamin C (VC) and vitamin E (VE), carotenes, retinol, lutein) intake was estimated using the Food Frequency Questionnaire. Sociodemographic and potential covariates were evaluated through questionnaires, anthropometric measurements and blood tests. The association between dietary intakes of antioxidant vitamins and tHcy concentration were evaluated by multiple linear regression analyses after napierian logarithm transformed. Multiple logistic regression models were further used to determine ORs and 95% CIs.ResultsThe β (95% CIs) of VC intake and tHcy was −0.050 (−0.084 to –0.016). Compared with the lowest quartile in the fully adjusted model, the ORs (95% CIs) for HHcy levels across quartiles of dietary VC intake were 0.82 (0.57 to 1.16), 0.49 (0.33 to 0.74) and 0.40 (0.22 to 0.74) (p for trend=0.001). The β (95% CIs) of retinol intake and tHcy was −0.021 (−0.041 to –0.002) and the ORs (95% CIs) in the third quartile of retinol intake was 0.61 (0.42 to 0.86), while the effect for the highest quartile was not significant (p for trend=0.951). No significant association was observed between dietary VE, carotenes and lutein intake and HHcy.ConclusionsA linear inverse association between dietary VC intake and HHcy prevalence, and an L-shaped association between dietary retinol intake and HHcy prevalence were found in Chinese middle-aged and older adults with hypertension.

Specific features of fat-soluble vitamins in the indigenous and administrative population of the Far North

In recent decades, interest in the study of the content of fat-soluble antioxidant vitamins among residents of the northern territories of Russia has not weakened, which is associated with the transformation of the diet in a harsh climate, a negative ecological situation resulting from the technogenic pollution of the biosphere with various toxicants, and urbanization of the environment. In recent decades, interest in the study of fat-soluble antioxidant vitamins among residents of the northern territories of Russia has not weakened, which is due to the transformation of the diet in a harsh climate, a negative environmental situation that arose as a result of technogenic pollution of the biosphere with various toxicants. Аim. Conduct a comparative analysis of the content vitamins A, D, E in indigenous and alien populations, living on the territory of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Material and methods. The study involved 185 males of working age (31.3 ± 12.2 years), permanently residing in the territory of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The study participants were divided into 2 groups: the control group (97 representatives of the newcomer population) and the main group (88 people from the ethnic population: Nenets, Khanty). In all examined individuals, vitamins A and E were determined in the blood by the fluorometric method, and the concentration of hydroxyvitamin D – 25 (OH) D3 was determined using the chemiluminescent method. Results. In the course of a comparative analysis of the content of the studied vitamins in the blood, it was found that the average values of vitamin A in the newcomer population were in the range of optimal values, while the provision with vitamins D and E was 1.4 and 1.1 times lower than the minimum. permissible physiological values, respectively. The opposite picture was observed in the aboriginal population, who had a pronounced deficiency of only vitamin A. Conclusion. The results obtained indicate the presence of intergroup features in the content of fat-soluble vitamins in the body of the population of the Far North, which requires a corresponding correction of the diet and the development of a set of preventive measures aimed at improving the ecology of the environment.

Plant Feed Additives as Natural Alternatives to the Use of Synthetic Antioxidant Vitamins on Livestock Mammals’ Performances, Health, and Oxidative Status: A Review of the Literature in the Last 20 Years

In the last two decades, the interest in natural plant feed additives (PFA) as alternatives to synthetic vitamins in livestock nutrition has increased. After a systematic review, a total of 19 peer-reviewed papers published between 2000 and 2020 were retained to evaluate the antioxidant effects of PFA compared to synthetic antioxidant vitamins (mainly vitamin E; VitE) in livestock nutrition. These studies demonstrated that PFAs could be as efficient as VitE in counteracting oxidative stress in pigs, rabbits, and ruminants. However, PFAs only positively affected animals’ growth performance and feed efficiency in some monogastric studies. The PFA can affect antioxidant enzyme activity in a dose- and method of administration-dependent manner. The antioxidant capacity of both PFA and VitE were depressed in cows fed with diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Variability among studies could be related to species differences. Despite the interest of the feed industry sector in PFA, there are still very few studies evaluating their antioxidant effect in species other than poultry.

Serum vitamin A, E & C in cortical & nuclear cataract patients.

Objective: To assess the status of antioxidant vitamins (A, E & C) in cortical and nuclear cataracts patients. Study Design: Prospective Comparative study. Setting: Al-Ibrahim Eye Hospital and Biochemistry Department of Al-Tibri Medical College, Karachi. Period: Sept 2016 to Aug 2017. Material & Methods: A non-probability random sampling technique was used on 80 pre-diagnosed cataracts (cortical and nuclear) patients, and 40 control subjects were selected for the study. The demographic data were collected, and the blood sample of control and cataract patients were analyzed for random blood sugar and antioxidant vitamins (A, E, and C) by Elisa Method. Results: The Blood level of vitamins E was low in cataract patients as compared to control subjects. Conclusions: The blood level of vitamin E is less in cortical and nuclear cataract patients as compared to control but had shown no significant difference between cortical and nuclear cataract patients.

Role of Antioxidant Vitamins in Neurogenesis

Neurogenesis is vital in the preservation of cognition. Previous studies have reported antioxidant vitamins as a key regulatory factor in neurogenesis. However, current research investigating their role is inconclusive due to the limited number of studies that have been conducted and conflicting results. This review evaluates the scientific evidence behind the potential roles of antioxidant vitamins in neurogenesis. Observations concerned with the mechanistic and functional aspects of how antioxidant vitamins modulate neurogenesis are both assessed. Vitamin A is evidently involved in cell cycle regulation and cell proliferation; vitamin C reportedly promotes neural differentiation and maturation while inhibiting neurite outgrowth; vitamin E is identified to inhibit cell proliferation while improving cell viability. Varying antioxidant vitamin concentrations have been implicated in facilitating cognition in terms of attention, memory, language, and executive function. Moreover, this review suggests a threshold antioxidant vitamin concentration that should be maintained to promote optimal levels of adult neurogenesis.