Total Vitamin B12 Research Articles

Nutritional intake of riboflavin (vitamin B2) and migraine: a cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001–2004

ABSTRACT Objectives Clinical studies demonstrate that supplemental riboflavin is an efficacious and low risk prophylactic treatment for migraine. However, background riboflavin intake of adults with migraine from nutritional sources has not been evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate riboflavin consumption of adults with migraine in the United States, and further investigate the relationship between nutritional riboflavin consumption and the prevalence of migraine among adults. Methods This cross-sectional secondary analysis included 3439 participants ages 20–50 years old in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 to 2004. Presence of migraine in the past three months was self-reported. Riboflavin intake was determined from one 24-hour recall interview. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for riboflavin intake quartiles using an adjusted logistic regression model. Statistical significance was determined using an adjusted Wald test. Results Results showed that mean dietary consumption of riboflavin fulfilled the Recommended Dietary Allowance for migraine and control groups. Dietary riboflavin intake was associated with the odds of migraine (p Wald = 0.002), but no association was found for supplemental or total riboflavin consumption (p Wald = 0.479 and 0.136). When stratified by gender, there was no association of dietary riboflavin with migraine in males (p Wald = 0.423), but an association was observed in females (p Wald = 0.014). Discussion The RDA value for riboflavin was not relevant for assessing odds of migraine; however, differing odds of migraine were detected across dietary riboflavin consumption groups at levels above the RDA. Future riboflavin supplementation trials for migraine prophylaxis should consider measuring background dietary intake.

Total serum vitamin B12 (cobalamin) LC-MS/MS assay as an arbiter of clinically discordant immunoassay results.

Measurement of the serum levels of vitamin B12 (VB12) is key for evaluating VB12 deficiency-dependent anemia. Immunoassay, the major method for determining VB12, tends to give false-normal results because of the presence of anti-intrinsic factor (IF-Ab) or other factors such as heterophilic antibodies etal. This study aimed to develop a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method that is helpful for distinguish false normal VB12 results measured by the immunoassay. Different forms of VB12 were derivatized into CN-B12, which was collected through solid-phase extraction and analyzed via LC-MS/MS. 236 serum samples were measured both by LC-MS/MS and immunoassay, results were compared, and the IF-Ab effect was evaluated. The LC-MS/MS assay afforded a linear slope from 20 to 4,000pmol/L for CN-B12. OH-VB12, methyl-VB12, and CoA-VB12 showed recovery within 89.3-109.5%. The intra-assay CV of VB12 was 2.6-4.1%, whereas the total CV was 9.3-9.8%. Passing-Bablok regression between LC-MS/MS and immunoassay results showed that the slope was 1.085 and the intercept was-15.691. The Bland-Altman plot showed that the mean difference and difference% were-34.6 pmol/L and 0.3%, respectively. Inter-rater agreement analysis showed that the linear weighted kappa value was 0.885, implying good agreement between the two methods. However, two samples were falsely elevated and one sample was falsely normal in the immunoassay compared with LC-MS/MS. The LC-MS/MS method helped in the distinction of false-normal VB12 results shown by the immunoassay. The VB12 LC-MS/MS method can be used as an arbiter of clinically discordant immunoassay results.

Fylkesforskjeller i utredning og behandling av vitamin B12-mangel

Severe vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency is rare, but international reports show that up to 26% of the general population may have subclinical vitamin B12 deficiency. The prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency has not been investigated in Norway. Since 2017, treatment with vitamin B12 tablets has represented an alternative to traditional treatment with intramuscular injections in Norway. When we studied the transition from injection to tablet treatment, we discovered an unexpected difference in the counties' use of vitamin B12 supplements, which we wished to investigate in more detail. Data on the dispensing of vitamin B12 supplements from pharmacies in 2020, broken down by the patients' county of residence, were retrieved from the Norwegian Prescription Database. The Norwegian Health Economics Administration (Helfo) provided figures on the number of reimbursed vitamin B12-related laboratory tests in 2020, classified by patients' municipality of residence. In 2020, the sale of vitamin B12 supplements on prescription in Norway amounted to 12 defined daily doses (DDD) per inhabitant and varied from 7 to 15 between the counties. The number of laboratory analyses that were performed varied by county from 26 to 46 per 100 inhabitants for total vitamin B12, and from 21 to 37 for folate. The number of analyses varied correspondingly from 1 to 12 per 100 inhabitants for homocysteine, from 1 to 13 for methylmalonic acid and from 0.01 to 8.13 for active vitamin B12. Our study showed large intercounty differences in the consumption of vitamin B12 supplements. These differences may have a number of explanations. Variations in the number of vitamin B12-related laboratory analyses requisitioned may indicate that doctors' assessment and diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency could be a contributory factor.

A STUDY ON PATIENTS (VEGETARIAN) WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANEMIA'S

The World Health Organization stated that the hemoglobin range <12g/dl in non-pregnant females and hemoglobin <13g/dl in males is diagnosed as anemia. It was observed that vegetarian and vegans affect more with anemia than nonvegetarians as they suffer from micronutrient and vitamin (iron, vitamin B12, etc.) deficiency due to strict plant -based diet. This prospective observational study was conducted in the out - patient department of ASCOMS, Jammu, including a total of 100 vegetarian patients. Findings showed that the mean age of the study participants was 33.90 ±฀11.88 years and majority of the cases were females (65%) and the female to male ratio was 1.85:1. The overall prevalence of anemia was 78% and most of the patients had moderate anemia. The present study concluded that there was a high prevalence of anemia among vegetarians and most common (type of anemia was iron deficiency anemia which was significantly associated with RBC, Hb, BMI, iron level, total iron binding capacity, serum ferritin, and vitamin B12. Thus, iron intake is a major nutrient concern among vegetarians.

Optimisation of Vitamin B12 Extraction from Green Edible Seaweed (Ulva lactuca) by Applying the Central Composite Design.

Vitamin B12, only found naturally in animal-based foods, is essential for brain functions and various chemical reactions in the human body. Insufficient vitamin B12 leads to vitamin B12 deficiency, common among strict vegetarians due to their limited intake of animal-based foods. Nevertheless, extensive studies have demonstrated that macroalgae, specifically the Ulva lactuca species, are rich in vitamin B12 and could be further exploited in future dietary applications. In the current study, the ideal extraction method of vitamin B12 from dried U. lactuca was developed and optimised to achieve the maximum vitamin B12 yield. The effects of several extraction parameters, including the solvent-to-solvent, methanol:water (MeOH:H2O), and solute-to-solvent ratios, and pH on the total vitamin B12 content were analysed through a two-level factorial and central composite design. The highest vitamin B12 content, particularly cyanocobalamin (CN-Cbl), was recovered through the ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) of oven-dried U. lactuca at 3 g:60 mL of solute-to-solvent and 25:75% of MeOH to H2O ratios at pH 4. The extraction of CN-Cbl from oven-dried U. lactuca that employed the UAE method has elevated CN-Cbl content recovery compared to other extraction methods.

Investigation of the vitamins B1, B2, and B6 vitamers bioaccessibilities of canned, dried legumes after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion system

Legumes are rich in minerals, B group vitamins, fiber, and protein. Intake of essential nutrients is vital in adequate and balanced nutrition. As it is crucial to evaluate final nutrient amounts, cooking losses and bioaccessibility values are determinant factors. This study investigates the quantity and vitamins B1, B2, and B6 vitamers bioaccessibilities in different dried, canned legume samples using an in vitro digestion model. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the amount of each vitamin. Vitamin B1 bioaccessibility in canned legumes was found above 72% except for red lentils (23%), vitamin B2 bioaccessibility was above 63% except for green lentils (44%), while total vitamin B6 bioaccessibility (57%) was lower than vitamins B1 and B2. The form of pyridoxine with the highest bioaccessibility for vitamin B6 forms was found between 66 and 89%, except for peas and red lentils. Besides, pyridoxamine form bioaccessibility was very low compared to pyridoxal form. We believe bioaccessibility might relate to temperature, pH, bonds with polypeptides and polysaccharides, and dietary fibers. As seen, the concept of bioaccessibility gains importance in the final nutrient amount.

Non-Linear Association between Folate/Vitamin B12 Status and Cognitive Function in Older Adults.

Although folate and vitamin B12 status have long been implicated in cognitive function, there is no consensus on the threshold of folate and vitamin B12 for assessing their impacts on cognition. The goal of this study was to detail the association between folate and vitamin B12 with cognitive performance. We analyzed cross-sectional data of older adults (≥60 y; n = 2204) from the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys) cohort from 2011–2014. The restricted cubic spline model was used for describing the associations between serum total folate, RBC folate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, and vitamin B12 and the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Word Learning (CERAD-WL) and Delayed Recall (CERAD-DR) tests, the Animal Fluency (AF) test, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), respectively. Older adults with a different folate and vitamin B12 status were clustered by artificial intelligence unsupervised learning. The statistically significant non-linear relationships between the markers of folate or vitamin B12 status and cognitive function were found after adjustments for potential confounders. Inverse U-shaped associations between folate/vitamin B12 status and cognitive function were observed, and the estimated breakpoint was described. No statistically significant interaction between vitamin B12 and folate status on cognitive function was observed in the current models. In addition, based on the biochemical examination of these four markers, older adults could be assigned into three clusters representing relatively low, medium, and high folate/vitamin B12 status with significantly different scores on the CERAD-DR and DSST. Low or high folate and vitamin B12 status affected selective domains of cognition, and was associated with suboptimal cognitive test outcomes.

Natural Variation in Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B6 Contents in Rice Germplasm.

Insufficient dietary intake of micronutrients contributes to the onset of deficiencies termed hidden hunger—a global health problem affecting approximately 2 billion people. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) are essential micronutrients because of their roles as enzymatic cofactors in all organisms. Metabolic engineering attempts to biofortify rice endosperm—a poor source of several micronutrients leading to deficiencies when consumed monotonously—have led to only minimal improvements in vitamin B1 and B6 contents. To determine if rice germplasm could be exploited for biofortification of rice endosperm, we screened 59 genetically diverse accessions under greenhouse conditions for variation in vitamin B1 and vitamin B6 contents across three tissue types (leaves, unpolished and polished grain). Accessions from low, intermediate and high vitamin categories that had similar vitamin levels in two greenhouse experiments were chosen for in-depth vitamer profiling and selected biosynthesis gene expression analyses. Vitamin B1 and B6 contents in polished seeds varied almost 4-fold. Genes encoding select vitamin B1 and B6 biosynthesis de novo enzymes (THIC for vitamin B1, PDX1.3a–c and PDX2 for vitamin B6) were differentially expressed in leaves across accessions contrasting in their respective vitamin contents. These expression levels did not correlate with leaf and unpolished seed vitamin contents, except for THIC expression in leaves that was positively correlated with total vitamin B1 contents in polished seeds. This study expands our knowledge of diversity in micronutrient traits in rice germplasm and provides insights into the expression of genes for vitamin B1 and B6 biosynthesis in rice.

The Markers of Cardiovascular Risk in the Roma in Western Slovak

Introduction and aim: Nutritional studies point to the importance of the quality of food consumed in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease before the total amount of food consumed. The aim of the study was to evaluate the cardiovascular risk of Roma in western Slovakia on the basis of selected markers. Materials and methodology: In our study, we determined the following parameters: total cholesterol, triacylglycerols, homocysteine, vitamin B9 and vitamin B12 in 320 probands aged 20-60 years. Results and discussion: In the Roma population, we found a significant decrease in vitamin B9 and a significant increase in vitamin B12 compared to the majority population. Conclusion: The Roma population consumes little fruit and vegetables, which was confirmed by low concentrations offolic acid. Based on the findings, more effective education in the field of diet and eating habits should be developed which would be used in primary prevention in the Roma population.

Maternal micronutrient status and its association with sociodemographic, maternal, and dietary factors in a cross-sectional study.

Maternal serum micronutrient status can have a significant impact on short- and long-term outcomes for mother and offspring. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of maternal serum folate, ferritin, and vitamin B12 status with maternal and dietary factors. This observational cross-sectional study was carried out with 165 healthy pregnant women at least 18 years of age with a singleton pregnancy. Maternal nutrient intake was determined by 24-hour dietary recall method and supplement records. Multivariable analyses using stepwise linear regression models were performed to associations of dietary intakes and maternal serum status. There was a difference between the lowest and highest quartile of maternal serum folate, ferritin, and vitamin B12 status and maternal characteristics and dietary, and total intakes of nutrients (p < 0.05). Multivariable stepwise linear regression analysis showed the predictors of serum folate status were dietary folate equivalent, dietary folate, total vitamin B6 and iron intake. Primer predictors of serum ferritin and vitamin B12 status were dietary protein intake (p < 0.05). Our findings support existing recommendations that folic acid supplementation should be prescribed to achieve optimal serum folate status during pregnancy. However, dietary protein intake is important to provide optimal maternal serum vitamin B12 and ferritin status.

Validation of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine) analyses in seafood

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine) contents of various seafoods, were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV and fluorescence detection, respectively. Analytes were extracted using 20 mM potassium phosphate and 10 mM ammonium formate. The pantothenic acid content of seafood ranged from 0.14 ± 0.01 mg/100 g (fusiformis) to 10.19 ± 0.46 mg/100 g (salted pollack roe), and total vitamin B6 content in seafood varied from 0.01 ± 0.00 mg/100 g (seersucker) to 1.39 ± 0.04 mg/100 g (salted pollack roe). Applied analytical method was validated using multiple method validation parameters, including detection limit (B5, 0.0003 mg/100 g; B6, 0.04–0.07 µg/100 g), quantification limit (B5, 0.0008 mg/100 g; B6, 0.10–0.12 µg/100 g), linearity (R2 = 0.9998–1.000), precision (B5, repeatability: RSD 1.5%; reproducibility: RSD 3.8%, B6, repeatability: RSD 2.6%; reproducibility: RSD 5.0%), and accuracy. Accuracy was evaluated based on the recovery percentages from certified reference materials and standard spiked samples. Vitamin B5 was recovered from SRM-1849a (102.0 ± 0.2%), SRM-2387 (99.7 ± 1.8%), and standard spiked sample (81.1 ± 2.5%–103.9 ± 6.7%). Recoveries of vitamin B6 obtained from SRM 3290 (100.0–103.4%) and standard spiked sample (84.1–114.7%) were within the acceptable range established by the AOAC guidelines.

Enhancing the biomass and riboflavin production of Ashbya gossypii by using low-intensity ultrasound stimulation

The riboflavin (vitamin B2) produced by the fermentation of Ashbya gossypii is an essential nutrient for humans and animals. In this study, favorable low-intensity ultrasound (US) with a power of 210 W was applied to stimulate A. gossypii for 45 min at 33 kHz during the logarithmic phase of 48 h. Compared with those of the untreated A. gossypii, the extracellular riboflavin, total riboflavin, and biomass of the US-stimulated A. gossypii increased by 23.5%, 26.95%, and 71.99%, at the 168th h, respectively. The optimal US stimulation increased the mycelial membrane permeability, decreased the mycelial diameter, and changed mycelial morphology to promote mass transfer, causing the enhancement of biomass and riboflavin production. Furthermore, US stimulation also increased the reactive oxygen species generation of A. gossypii, which may be attributed to this fungus’ US-induced stress defense that enhanced riboflavin production. Therefore, combining US and fermentation is a feasible and efficient method for enhancing the production of riboflavin and other compounds.

Seasonal variation of chub mackerel (Scomber colias) selenium and vitamin B12 content and its potential role in human health

Chub mackerel (Scomber colias), an underutilised fish species, has been identified as an excellent source of selenium and vitamin B12, which may prevent and delay cognitive decline and dementia. Given these nutrients’ contents seasonal variability, a complete monthly sampling, involving a specifically adjusted methodology for the determination of vitamin B12 (LC-MS/MS) and its main vitamers and a sensitive analytical technique (ICP-MS) for Se, was carried out. Regarding total vitamin B12 in the chub mackerel muscle, its content varied from 10.0 ± 1.0 μg/100 g in February to 18.9 ± 1.9 μg/100 g in August. It was also shown that methylcobalamin content ranged from 1.12 ± 0.43 (March) to 6.77 ± 0.80 μg/100 g (August), a sixfold increase. Hydroxocobalamin content varied between 3.49 ± 0.12 (February) and 9.62 ± 0.41 μg/100 g (August). The content of Se also had seasonal variability, ranging from 451 ± 14 μg/kg (December) to 606 ± 11 μg/kg (July). In the worst-case scenario, a weekly 160 g meal of this fish would almost guarantee B12 requirements. Three weekly 160 g meals of S. colias would cover, at least, 56% of the Se requirements. Therefore, as first explored here, it is highly relevant a complete, year-round assessment of the chub mackerel’s nutritional value, in order to elaborate finely tuned dietary recommendations.

Biologically active or just “pseudo”-vitamin B12 as predominant form in algae-based nutritional supplements?

In order to find out whether algae-based nutritional supplements contain both physiologically active vitamin B12 and its non-active pseudo-form, a simple and fast ultra-high performance liquid chromatography method with UV detection was developed to separate these two forms. A total of 57 commercially available microalgae products based on Chlorella and Spirulina were analyzed. Results obtained showed a broad variety of the content of total vitamin B12 ranging from not-detectable to 445.9 μg 100g−1 dry matter for Chlorella samples, and between 92.8 and 164.1 μg 100g−1 dry matter for Spirulina products. However, there was a big variation in the concentration of pseudo-vitamin B12 within all samples analyzed. Chlorella products contained mainly physiologically active cobalamin, while pseudo-vitamin B12 was the prevailing form in Spirulina-labeled nutritional supplements. The importance of being able to differentiate between cobalamin and its pseudo-form in algae is not only relevant for food analysts, but also regarding consumer protection since they have to be able to rely on the correct labeling of nutritional supplements.

A novel panel of yeast assays for the assessment of thiamin and its biosynthetic intermediates in plant tissues.

Summary Thiamin (or thiamine), known as vitamin B1, represents an indispensable component of human diets, being pivotal in energy metabolism. Thiamin research depends on adequate vitamin quantification in plant tissues. A recently developed quantitative liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method is able to assess the level of thiamin, its phosphorylated entities and its biosynthetic intermediates in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, as well as in rice. However, their implementation requires expensive equipment and substantial technical expertise. Microbiological assays can be useful in deter‐mining metabolite levels in plant material and provide an affordable alternative to MS‐based analysis.Here, we evaluate, by comparison to the LC–MS/MS reference method, the potential of a carefully chosen panel of yeast assays to estimate levels of total vitamin B1, as well as its biosynthetic intermediates pyrimidine and thiazole in Arabidopsis samples.The examined panel of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants was, when implemented in microbiological assays, capable of correctly assigning a series of wild‐type and thiamin biofortified Arabidopsis plant samples.The assays provide a readily applicable method allowing rapid screening of vitamin B1 (and its biosynthetic intermediates) content in plant material, which is particularly useful in metabolic engineering approaches and in germplasm screening across or within species.

The role of vitamin B12 in viral infections: a comprehensive review of its relationship with the muscle-gut-brain axis and implications for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

This comprehensive review establishes the role of vitamin B12 as adjunct therapy for viral infections in the treatment and persistent symptoms of COVID-19, focusing on symptoms related to the muscle–gut–brain axis. Vitamin B12 can help balance immune responses to better fight viral infections. Furthermore, data from randomized clinical trials and meta-analysis indicate that vitamin B12 in the forms of methylcobalamin and cyanocobalamin may increase serum vitamin B12 levels, and resulted in decreased serum methylmalonic acid and homocysteine concentrations, and decreased pain intensity, memory loss, and impaired concentration. Among studies, there is much variation in vitamin B12 doses, chemical forms, supplementation time, and administration routes. Larger randomized clinical trials of vitamin B12 supplementation and analysis of markers such as total vitamin B12, holotranscobalamin, total homocysteine and methylmalonic acid, total folic acid, and, if possible, polymorphisms and methylation of genes need to be conducted with people with and without COVID-19 or who have had COVID-19 to facilitate the proper vitamin B12 form to be administered in individual treatment.

Haematological and Demographic Study in Children Infected with Enterobiasis in Al Diwaniyah Province, Iraq

Enterobius vermicularis infection is considered as one of the important causes of anaemia and malnutrition among children. This topic has recently received an increased amount of attention. The objective of this study is to evaluate the demographical, anthropometrical, nutritional, and haematological status of E. vermicularis infection among children. This study was conducted in Al Diwaniyah province, south of Iraq, for the period of October 2020 to the end of January 2021. The study included 122 children from both genders (males, n= 61, and females, n=61) and their ages ranged between 1 and 14 years. Nutritional status, body mass index (BMI), BMI percentile, and weight- for- age Z score were evaluated for some participants. In addition, samples of cellophane tape and blood were collected from all participants. The cellophane tape samples were examined microscopically for E. vermicularis detection, whereas blood samples were processed to evaluate several parameters, which were hemoglobin, serum iron, and total iron binding capacity (TIBC), ferritin, and vitamin B12. The results revealed a high infection rate (73.77%) among the studied population. The results also showed a significant correlation between gender and the occurrence of E. vermicularis infection. Males showed a higher risk of enterobiasis than females. While no association was noticed between each of age, nutritional status, and enterobiasis. Also, a significant correlation was recorded between E. vermicularis positive status and anaemia. The results showed that each of BMI, weight- for- age Z score, haemoglobin, serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and ferritin had significantly lower values among those who were positive for E. vermicularis. Finally, the level of vitamin B12 was insignificantly decreased in children with enteroniasis. These findings indicate that more hematological changes are expected to occur in children with enterobiasis. Therefore, further consideration and investigation would be required on this topic in Iraq.

P642 Crossroads of vitamin B6 deficiency and inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease: Preliminary results of a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background The robust relationship between vitamin B6 and inflammation has become apparent over the last decade. However, the mechanistic nature of this relationship remains unclear. Evidence suggests an inverse relationship between blood levels of B6 and inflammation, but also a potential two-way relationship between the two. Thus, whereas inflammation can deplete serum vitamin B6, vitamin B6 insufficiency can attenuate inflammation. This study aimed to assess vitamin B status in patients with IBD in routine clinical practice and identify possible relationships between vitamin B6 status and clinical disease characteristics. Methods In a comparative, retrospective cross-sectional study, serum samples of patients with IBD were studied. CBC, albumin and hsCRP were determined and samples assessed for presence/absence of inflammation (serum hsCRP, cut-off &amp;lt;5mg/L). Vitamin B6 status was determined via direct measurement of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) by enzymatic assay. Results 149 patients with IBD (64f/85m; 82CD/67UC; 39.9±14.6y) were included. Of these, 44/149 had inflammation (19f/25m; 22CD/22UC; 41.2±14.9y) and 105/149 no inflammation (45f/60m; 60CD/45UC; 39.3±14.4y). In patients with inflammation, mean serum PLP levels were significantly lower (7.2[1.9–46.0] µg/L) vs. patients without inflammation (9.8[0.1–88.0] µg/L) (p&amp;lt;0.05). Accordingly, vitamin B6 deficiency occurred significantly more frequently in patients with vs. without inflammation (34.1% vs. 19.0%, p&amp;lt;0.05). A higher incidence of vitamin B6 deficiency was seen in patients with CD vs. UC, though without statistical significance (26.8% vs. 19.4%, p&amp;gt;0.05). The frequency of vitamin B6 deficiency did not differ according to disease localisation (p&amp;gt;0.05). Serum PLP levels inversely correlated with the inflammatory markers hsCRP and ESR (r=-0.306, p&amp;lt;0.001 and r=-0.203, p&amp;lt;0.001, respectively). Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between blood PLP levels and other selected acute-phase reactants, e.g., TSAT% (r= 0.207, p&amp;lt;0.05). However, no significant correlation was found with ferritin (r=-0.152, p=0.064). Conclusion Low serum total vitamin B6 levels were associated with inflammation but not disease type or localisation in patients with IBD. In line with preclinical findings and previous observational studies, vitamin B6 deficiency was more pronounced in patients with inflammation. Our findings suggest vitamin B6 may have a bigger role than thought in IBD; besides its relationship with inflammation, a possible involvement of vitamin B6 deficiency as cause or effect in IBD pathogenesis warrants investigation. Routine assessment and correction of vitamin B6 status may ameliorate IBD and help maintain intestinal integrity.

Effects of riboflavin supplementation level on health, performance, and fertility of organic broiler parent stock and their chicks

Data from breeder hens and chicks are particularly critical for the development of vitamin B2 recommendations for organic poultry. To test safe thresholds of supplementation, 100 breeder hens (Hubbard JA 57 K) and ten cockerels were allocated to ten housing groups, with each receiving supplementation of either 4.0 (treatment CON) or 2.5 mg (treatment RED) riboflavin per kg feed. After 15 weeks of experimental feeding, 256 eggs were incubated. From the hatched chicks (Hubbard S757), 192 were allocated to four treatments based on their parents’ treatment (CON- or RED-) and on their own supplementation of either 4.0 (-CON) or 2.5 mg (-RED) riboflavin per kg feed. Two groups of each combination (CON-CON, CON-RED, RED-CON, RED-RED), each with 24 chicks of both sexes, were fattened for nine weeks and slaughtered. Analysis of total riboflavin (sum of native concentrations and supplements) in the parent’s feeds revealed an average, over the 15 weeks, of 7.8 and 5.8 mg per kg feed for CON and RED, respectively. Body weight, plumage integrity, gait appearance, footpad, claw and keel bone integrity, lesion scores, laying performance, and egg mass were found to be of similarly high levels for all hens without any treatment effects. Performance traits of the hens in both treatments reached the specifications of the producer for this genotype. Yolk and albumen riboflavin concentrations were not affected although yolk colour in the RED treatment group became darker. Fertility was not affected, and hatchability was 100 per cent. Total riboflavin concentrations in the broiler diets were on average, over 9 weeks, 8.2 and 6.1 mg/kg for CON and RED, respectively. In chicks, RED treatment of their parents led to significant depressions of feed intake and growth. The RED treatment of the chicks themselves also impaired growth. Growth rates of the CON-CON treatment were in line with the specifications of the producer for this genotype. Plumage scores, footpad integrity and walking appearance of the broilers, and dressing percentage of the carcasses were not affected by treatment. The RED treatment of chicks caused lower spleen and heart weights, while pancreas and liver weights, and liver riboflavin concentrations were not affected. In conclusion, supplementation of 4.0 mg/kg to organic diets did not evoke any health or performance problems for breeder hens or broiler chicks, while a supplementation level of 2.5 mg per kg feed led to reduced weight gains, although without any other riboflavin deficiency symptoms.

An evaluation of micronutrient status in severe obesity and follow-up assessment after bariatric surgery: A retrospective single-center study

Background: Micronutrient deficiency is common in obesity despite surplus weight and high caloric intake. Further exacerbation is often seen after bariatric surgery due to the resultant dietary restrictions, and physiological and anatomical alterations. Owing to the rising prevalence of obesity in India with a simultaneous surge in bariatric surgeries, an account of micronutrient status is required. This will help in identifying susceptible individuals and setting up priorities for prevention and intervention. Subjects and Methods: A retrospective study was designed to analyze the data collected before and until 1 year (3, 6, and 12 months) after bariatric surgery in individuals with severe obesity (body mass index ≥35 kg/m2, n = 150). We included the assessment of nutritional parameters, namely, serum iron, ferritin, total iron-binding capacity, Vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin D, and parathormone along with anthropometric and routine biochemical investigations. Results: Deficiency of Vitamin D was most prevalent (52%) at baseline, followed by anemia (21%). Ferritin deficiency was 9.3%, followed by iron (8.0%), Vitamin B12(7.3%), and folate deficiency (4.7%) at baseline. There was a remarkable improvement in Vitamin D deficiency (26%), whereas the percent prevalence of other micronutrients has shown deterioration in 12 months after bariatric surgery. No significant difference existed in the prevalence of micronutrient deficiency between laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (n = 75) and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (n = 75) over the 12-month follow-up period. Conclusion: Micronutrient deficiencies persisted after bariatric surgery underlining the need for fine adjustment of supplementations and monitoring compliance to ensure the best patient outcomes.