Vitamin Research Articles

Routine community-based vitamin A supplementation compared to the Mass campaign among 6-59-months old’s children in two health districts, Far North Cameroon

Introduction: Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) is one of the most cost-effective interventions with the greatest impact in reducing child mortality. Mass campaigns are costly, donor-driven, and heavily dependent on funding for mass immunization campaigns. We analyzed routine community-based VAS (rVAS) coverage using the pilot approach of strengthening community participation versus the mass campaign strategy during the “Mother and Child Health and Nutrition Action Week” (MCHNAW). Methods: This was a descriptive study among from children under five prospectively followed up in a VAS program in Kaele and Guidiguis health districts. We performed a descriptive analysis of data from routine VAS program after capacity building of Community Health Workers (CHW) and compared them with data from the MCHNAW in the period October 2019 and May 2020. Data were collected in the health facilities from the registers to ODK Kobocollect and analyzed by Microsoft Excel 2010. Results: rVAS showed 95.29% (92.49% Kaele; 98.49% Guidiguis) coverage for children aged 6-11 months (first dose). And 98.29% (97.71% Kaele & 98.77% Guidiguis) coverage for children aged 12-59 months (2nd dose). In comparison, VAS coverage in the mass campaign was lower with 68.46% (61.80% Kaele 72.42% Guidiguis) for 6-11 months and 62.57% (61.27% Kaele & 63.28% Guidiguis) for 12-59 months. These coverages are also lower, compared to the national target coverage (80%). rVAS showed high coverage (>92%) compared to Mass campaign and national target among 6–59-months age children in both health district in the far North Cameroon. However, this study has not analyzed the cost of both strategies of VAS. Conclusion: Reinforce the routine community-based VAS showed the best coverage to reach children under-five compared to the mass campaign VAS. However, there is need more cost-effectiveness studies to confirm whether strengthening community-based VAS could be a better practice versus mass campaign.

Effects of antimony on antioxidant system, damage indexes of blood-brain barrier and ultrastructure of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Antimony (Sb) and its compounds can be harmful to people and are known to cause cancer, so they are a key pollutant to control. This study investigated the influence of antimony on non-enzymatic antioxidants and the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in zebrafish(Danio rerio), a model organism that shares a high degree of genetic similarity with humans. Zebrafish were exposed to different doses of antimony in water for 7, 18, and 30 days. The results indicated that antimony accumulated most in the liver, followed by the gills, flesh, and brain, with the accumulation increasing as the exposure duration extends. Additionally, under identical antimony concentrations, the buildup in the four tissues was positively correlated with the duration of exposure. After 18 days of exposure, the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and endogenous non-enzymatic antioxidants vitamin C (VC) and vitamin E (VE) decreased as a result of antimony ingestion in zebrafish, although cysteine secretion was increased in the liver, gills, and brain. The structural integrity of the BBB was compromised by the elevation of ApoE4 and MMP-9 levels as a result of antimony exposure, which led to the breakdown of the basal lamina, tight junctions, and nerve fibers in the brain. At this injured region, 5-HT and MBP were also able to easily enter and leave the BBB, albeit at variable rates. Additionally, when the antimony exposure level reached 16.58 mg·L−1, antimony penetrated the BBB and bound to erythrocytes, causing their lysis.

Vitamin E alleviates glyphosate-based herbicide-induced progesterone secretion inhibition and oxidative stress increase in chicken primary granulosa cells

Glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) are the most extensively used herbicides worldwide. Despite a presumed nondangerousness for animals, several studies reported negative effects after a GBH exposure in several animal models including birds, notably on reproductive functions. Several studies concerning the advantages of Vitamin E (VE) for antioxidant activity but also growth and reproduction have been reported in birds. However, it remains unclear whether VE could alleviate the negative effect of GBHs on chicken ovarian cells. Here we exposed chicken primary granulosa cells (GCs) from F1 and F3/4 follicles to growing doses of GBH (0.036, 0.36, 3.6, and 36 gly eq/L), with or without VE supplementation (1 mg/L) and investigated cell viability, proliferation, oxidative stress and steroidogenesis. GBH exposure did not affect F1 and F3 GCs viability but it increased cell proliferation only in F1 GCs and this effect was not altered by VE. In both F1 and F3/4 GCs, GBH exposure increased total oxidant status (TOS), reduced total antioxidant status (TAS) and consequently increased index of oxidative stress (OSI) in dose dependent manner. This latter effect for GBH 36 mg eq gly/L was totally abolished in response to VE. In both F1 and F3/4 GCs, GBH exposure reduced progesterone secretion in a dose dependent manner and this effect with GBH 0.36 and 1.8 mg eq glyphosate/L was alleviated by VE. However, we did not observe any effect of GBH and VE on the gene expression of several components of the steroidogenesis process. Taken together, these results show that GBH may have endocrine disruptor effects, and that these effects might be alleviated by antioxidant VE supplementation.

Metabolic reprogramming of corn oligopeptide in regulating sodium nitrite-induced canine hepatocyte injury via TGF/NF-κB signaling pathways and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis

Sodium nitrite (SN), a prevalent food preservative, is known to precipitate hepatotoxicity upon exposure. This study elucidates the hepatoprotective effects of corn oligopeptide (COP) and vitamin E (VE) against SN-induced hepatic injury in canine hepatocytes. Canine liver cells were subjected to SN to induce hepatotoxicity, followed by treatment with COP and VE. Evaluations included assays for cell viability, oxidative stress markers, apoptosis, and inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed to delineate the underlying molecular mechanisms. The findings demonstrated that COP and VE significantly ameliorated SN-induced cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. It was evidenced by restored cell viability, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, reduced cytoplasmic enzyme leakage, and decreased levels of malondialdehyde and inflammatory cytokines, with COP showing superior efficacy. The RNA sequencing revealed that COP treatment suppressed the SN-activated aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathway and TGF-β/NF-κB signaling pathways, thereby mitigating amino acid depletion, apoptosis, and inflammation. Moreover, COP treatment upregulated genes associated with protein folding, bile acid synthesis, and DNA repair. Metabolomic analysis corroborated these results, showing that COP restored amino acid levels and enhanced bile acid metabolism, alleviating SN-induced metabolic disruptions. These findings offered significant insights into the protective mechanisms of COP underscoring its prospective application in treating liver injuries.

W/O/W Pickering emulsions stabilized by complex modified phycocyanin.

A water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsion can simultaneously load hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances due to its unique two-membrane, three-phase structure. However, thermodynamic instability greatly limits the application of double emulsions in food processing. Further development of Pickering emulsions based on proteins, etc., can improve the stability and loading capacity. It is of great significance to promote their practical application. Herein, we prepared ultrasound pretreatment complex glycation-modified phycocyanin (UMPC) to stabilize a W/O/W Pickering emulsion for the codelivery of vitamin B12 (VB12) and vitamin E (VE). First, an inner water phase and oil phase containing polyglycerin polyricinoleate were homogenized to prepare a W/O emulsion. Subsequently, the W/O emulsion was homogenized with an outer water phase containing UMPC to obtain a W/O/W Pickering emulsion. A gel-like inner phase emulsion with excellent storage and thermal stabilities was obtained under the condition that the W/O emulsion volume ratio was 80% and the UMPC was stabilized by 10 g kg-1. The double emulsion after loading VB12 and VE showed good encapsulation effect during the storage period, the encapsulation rate could reach more than 90%, it also showed excellent protection effect under long-time storage and UV irradiation and the retention rate increased by more than 65%. In addition, the bioavailability of VB12 and VE significantly increased during simulated gastrointestinal digestion and reached 46.02% and 52.43%, respectively. These results indicate that the UMPC-stabilized W/O/W Pickering emulsion is an effective carrier for the codelivery of hydrophilic and hydrophobic bioactive molecules and also provides a means for useful exploration of an efficient and stable emulsion system stabilized by biological macromolecules. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

The association between vitamin E intake and hepatic steatosis in general and obese populations

PurposeUsing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and employing Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) measures, this study explores the correlation between vitamin E (VE) intake and hepatic steatosis and its impact on different subsets.Materials and methodsWe selected 5757 participants with CAP data from the 2017–2020 NHANES dataset. Daily VE intake was assessed by a 24-hour dietary recall. Hepatic fat content was quantified using transient elastography to measure CAP. Stratified multivariable regression analysis investigated relationships in different subsets, and a generalized additive model identified nonlinear relationships and thresholds.ResultsAfter adjusting for confounders, higher VE intake correlated with lower CAP levels. Subgroup analyses and tests for interaction revealed a significantly stronger negative correlation between VE intake and CAP in obese individuals. Further analysis indicated a curvilinear relationship between VE intake and the severity of liver fat degeneration in both the general study population and the obese subgroup, demonstrating a threshold effect. In the general population, VE intake below the threshold (6.58 mg/day) is positively correlated with CAP levels, whereas intake above this threshold shows a negative correlation. For obese individuals, the threshold is set at 7.37 mg/day, above which the negative correlation with CAP is even more pronounced.ConclusionOur study revealed a negative correlation between VE intake and hepatic fat content, highlighting the potentially crucial role VE plays in obese fatty liver patients. Importantly, we identified threshold effects of VE intake in both general and obese populations. Our results support clinical nutritional interventions, personalized dietary guidance, and the development of drugs to combat fatty liver.

Castor Bean Meal Fertilizer Improves Peanut Yield and Quality by Regulating the Soil Physicochemical Environment and Soil Enzyme Activities

PurposeFertilization is important for improving crop yield and soil quality. Elucidation of the effects of castor bean meal (CBM) fertilizer on peanut yield and quality and soil fertility can lead to additional fertilization options for peanut and provide a theoretical reference for achieving a high-quality, high-yielding peanut.MethodsDuring 2022–2023, a two-year long-term field experiment was conducted in Tongliao city, Inner Mongolia, China. No fertilizer (CK) was used as the control, and the effects of different treatments, i.e., CBM fertilizer (B1: 2520 kg ha-1, B2: 5040 kg ha-1, and B3: 10,080 kg ha-1), chemical fertilizer alone (F1: 175 kg ha-1, F2: 350 kg ha-1, and F3: 700 kg ha-1), and cow manure alone (N1: 3724 kg ha-1, N2: 7448 kg ha-1, and N3: 14,896 kg ha-1) on peanut yield and quality and soil fertility were investigated.ResultsThe results showed that CBM fertilizer application improved soil ecology. Compared with other fertilization treatments, the soil pH of B3 treatment decreased by 8.5%, but significantly increased the contents of organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen (AN), basic phosphorus (AP) and rapidly available potassium (AK) in the soil, which increased by 86.4%, 64.6%, 70.5%, 11.3%, 75.8%, 150.1%, and 116.2%, respectively, compared with CK. Meanwhile, B1, B2, N1 and N2 treatments also led to the elevation of the above indexes. In addition, the activities of urease (URE), sucrase (SUC), phosphatase (PPL), catalase (CAT), amylase (AMY) and protease (PRO) in the B3 treatment were significantly greater than those in the other fertilization treatments, with increases of 256.4%, 248.4%, 68.2%, 96.8%, 267.3%, and 155.7%, respectively, compared with CK. The B3 treatment also significantly increased the rootlet length(PRL), number of branches(BN), plant height(PLH) and lateral branch length(LBL) of the peanut plants. Compared with the other treatments, the B3 treatment had a greater peanut yields, reaching 8059.5 kg ha-1 and 9935.7 kg ha-1 in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Compared with the other treatments, the B1 treatment significantly increased the contents of protein (Pro), fat (FAT), unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) and vitamin E (VE), which increased by 23.3%, 6.1%, 1.0%, 29.1%, respectively, compared with CK, but the total sugar (TS) content was reduced by 9.1%. Correlation analysis further confirmed that peanut yield and quality were significantly correlated with soil nutrients and enzyme activities.ConclusionsThis study showed that the application of CBM fertilizer has certain positive effects. For example, the B3 treatment has certain potential for increasing peanut yield, and the B1 treatment can be used for peanut quality improvement. Therefore, CBM fertilizer is recommended as a new type of organic fertilizer for improving the peanut quality and yield.

Antioxidant Activity of Extracts of Balloon Flower Root (Platycodon grandiflorum), Japanese Apricot (Prunus mume), and Grape (Vitis vinifera) and Their Effects on Beef Jerky Quality.

This research examines the total polyphenol and flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of natural ingredients such as balloon flower root extract (BFE), Japanese apricot extract (JAE) and grape extract (GE). In addition, their effect on beef jerky quality characteristics was investigated when the extracts were used as alternatives to potassium sorbate (PS) and vitamin E (VE). BFE had higher (p < 0.05) total flavonoid content (TFC) (6.85 mg CAT eq/g), total polyphenol content (TPC) (10.52 mg RUT eq/g), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (62.96%), and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity (87.60%) compared to other extracts. Although all extracts showed lower activity than BHT in all antioxidant activity tests, the BFE and JAE showed higher (p < 0.05) activity than the GE in the DPPH and FRAP assays. In contrast, in the ABTS assay, both BFE and GE showed increased activity (p < 0.05) compared to JAE. The jerky was prepared by adding 0.05% (v/v) each of BFE, JAE and GE. Furthermore, a control sample of jerky was also prepared by adding 0.10% (w/v) PS and 0.05% VE, respectively. On day 30, the redness (a*) values of the BFE and PS samples were also found to be significantly higher than those of the other samples (p < 0.05). Additionally, the yellowness (b*) values of the BFE sample were also found to be significantly higher than those of the other samples (p < 0.05). The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs) on day 30 were lower in the jerky treated with PS, VE, and GE compared to those treated with BFE and JAE (p < 0.05). In the sensory analysis, beef jerky with BFE had significantly higher overall acceptability scores on days 1 and 30 (p < 0.05). The addition of BFE to beef jerky influenced the increase in a* and b* values on day 30. The addition of GE effectively suppressed lipid oxidation to a level comparable to that of the PS and VE at day 30. Furthermore, the addition of BFE enhanced the overall acceptability of sensory characteristics.

Co-encapsulation of vitamin E and quercetin by soybean lipophilic proteins based on pH-shifting and ultrasonication: Focus on interaction mechanisms, structural and physicochemical properties

This study explored the mechanism of interaction of pH-shifting combined ultrasonication and its effect on soybean lipophilic proteins (SLP) and the potential of modified SLP as the carrier for vitamin E (VE) and quercetin (QU). The spectroscopy results revealed that both VE and QU changed the SLP conformation and exposed hydrophobic groups. The loading rates of VE and QU by SLP with alkaline pH-shifting combined with ultrasonication (300 w,20 min) were 86.91% and 75.99%, respectively. According to the antioxidant analysis, with an increase in the ultrasonication power, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging capacity of the samples increased, where the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging capacity of sample SQV-6 were 70.90% and 63.43%, respectively. The physicochemical properties, microstructure, and stability of the SLP–VE–QU complex improved significantly. Overall, the present findings broadened the application of simple structural carriers for co-encapsulating functional factors.

The effects of TGF-β-induced activation and starvation of vitamin A and palmitic acid on human stem cell-derived hepatic stellate cells

BackgroundHepatic stellate cells (HSC) have numerous critical roles in liver function and homeostasis, while they are also known for their importance during liver injury and fibrosis. There is therefore a need for relevant in vitro human HSC models to fill current knowledge gaps. In particular, the roles of vitamin A (VA), lipid droplets (LDs), and energy metabolism in human HSC activation are poorly understood.MethodsIn this study, human pluripotent stem cell-derived HSCs (scHSCs), benchmarked to human primary HSC, were exposed to 48-hour starvation of retinol (ROL) and palmitic acid (PA) in the presence or absence of the potent HSC activator TGF-β. The interventions were studied by an extensive set of phenotypic and functional analyses, including transcriptomic analysis, measurement of activation-related proteins and cytokines, VA- and LD storage, and cell energy metabolism.ResultsThe results show that though the starvation of ROL and PA alone did not induce scHSC activation, the starvation amplified the TGF-β-induced activation-related transcriptome. However, TGF-β-induced activation alone did not lead to a reduction in VA or LD stores. Additionally, reduced glycolysis and increased mitochondrial fission were observed in response to TGF-β.ConclusionsscHSCs are robust models for activation studies. The loss of VA and LDs is not sufficient for scHSC activation in vitro, but may amplify the TGF-β-induced activation response. Collectively, our work provides an extensive framework for studying human HSCs in healthy and diseased conditions.

Maternal genetics and diet modulate vitamin A homeostasis of the offspring and affect the susceptibility to obesity in adulthood in mice.

Perinatal nutrition exerts a profound influence on adult metabolic health. This study aimed to investigate whether increased maternal vitamin A (VA) supply can lead to beneficial metabolic phenotypes in the offspring. The researchers utilized mice deficient in the intestine-specific homeobox (ISX) transcription factor, which exhibits increased intestinal VA retinoid production from dietary β-carotene (BC). ISX-deficient dams were fed a VA-sufficient or a BC-enriched diet during the last week of gestation and the whole lactation period. Total retinol levels in milk and weanling livers were 2- to 2.5-fold higher in the offspring of BC-fed dams (BC offspring), indicating increased VA supplies during late gestation and lactation. The corresponding VA-sufficient and BC offspring (males and females) were compared at weaning and adulthood after being fed either a standard or high-fat diet (HFD) with regular VA content for 13 weeks from weaning. HFD-induced increases in adiposity metrics, such as fat depot mass and adipocyte diameter, were more pronounced in males than females and were attenuated or suppressed in the BC offspring. Notably, the BC offspring were protected from HFD-induced increases in circulating triacylglycerol levels and hepatic steatosis. These protective effects were associated with reduced food efficiency, enhanced capacity for thermogenesis and mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in adipose tissues, and increased adipocyte hyperplasia rather than hypertrophy in the BC offspring. In conclusion, maternal VA nutrition influenced by genetics may confer metabolic benefits to the offspring, with mild increases in late gestation and lactation protecting against obesity and metabolic dysregulation in adulthood.NEW & NOTEWORTHY A genetic mouse model, deficient in intestine-specific homeobox (ISX) transcription factor, is used to show that a mildly increased maternal vitamin A supply from β-carotene feeding during late gestation and lactation programs energy and lipid metabolism in tissues and protects the offspring from diet-induced hypertrophic obesity and hepatic steatosis. This knowledge may have implications for human populations where polymorphisms in ISX and ISX target genes involved in vitamin A homeostasis are prevalent.

Effects of non-covalently bound polyphenols/vitamins on the structure and functional characteristics of egg yolk powder

The egg yolk powder (EYP) was modified in this study by incorporating the tea polyphenols (TP), rosemary extract (RE), curcumin (CC), ascorbic acid (AA), and vitamin E (VE) to create the complex of polyphenols/vitamins-EYP. The structure, flavor, and emulsification properties of the complex were investigated. The results demonstrated that the addition of these five substances enhanced the flavor of EYP. Among them, VEP (EYP modified by VE) exhibited the flavor profile closest to EYP, while TPP (EYP modified by TP) had the most different flavor compared to EYP. This was because VE could induce secondary and tertiary structural changes in EYP and exposed more functional groups for binding with volatile flavor compounds such as hexanal, 1-octen-3-ol, and benzaldehyde, thereby improving the overall flavor of EYP. However, due to its larger molecular weight (1099.62 Da), VE exhibited the limited degree of interaction with EYP, thereby enabling it to preserve the overall flavor profile of EYP. On the other hand, TP possessed most active hydroxyl groups, which easily interacted with EYP, forming new complexes that significantly altered its flavor characteristics. Among the five modified powders, VEP had the highest emulsification, but it was still lower than that of EYP. This was because the particle size of VEP (1592.75 nm) was higher than that of EYP (821.88 nm), which was not conducive to the rapid movement to the oil-water interface, resulting in the reduced emulsification.

The Interactive Effects of The Aerobic Exercise and Vitamin E Supplementation on Parkinson's Rat Model.

In Parkinson's disease (PD), mitochondrial defects and oxidative stress cause an increase in free radicals and the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. By preventing lipid peroxidation and protecting against peroxide radicals, vitamin E is the most important antioxidant of biological membranes that can neutralize free radicals. Also, the improvement of the functional status of mitochondria can be influenced by exercise, which can be partially the result of changes in the mitochondrial mitophagy and dynamics system. This study aimed to investigate the interactive effects of six weeks of vitamin E (VE) consumption and training on the mitochondrial function [Cytochrome C (Cyt-C), Adenosine triphosphate (Atp) synthase, optical atrophy1 mitochondrial dynamics like guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase), 8-Oxodequanosin and Pten induced kinase 1 (Pink1) is a protein coding gene] in the hippocampus tissue of PD rats. In this experimental study, 4-6-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats (mean weight 250 ± 30 g) were given parkinsonism with reserpine (2 mg/kg) and were categorized into different groups, including healthy (H), PD, VE solvent+PD (Sham), aerobic exercise+PD (AE+PD), VE+PD, AE+VE+PD. The aerobic training program was carried out for six weeks and 5 sessions per week and each session lasted 15-22 minutes. VE was also taken orally at 30 mg/kg daily. A six-week regimen of VE supplement along with the AE significantly reduced the Cyt-C gene expression level, also we observed a significant increase in gene expression level of the Pink1, Atp synthase and Opa1 (P<0.05). There is no significant difference was found in the level of 8-Oxog detected in hippocampal tissue samples (P>0.05). The consumption of VE along with AE may provide therapeutic effects on mitochondrial damage in PD rats.

Sterol 14-alpha demethylase (CYP51) activity in Leishmania donovani is likely dependent upon cytochrome P450 reductase 1.

Liposomal amphotericin B is an important frontline drug for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis, a neglected disease of poverty. The mechanism of action of amphotericin B (AmB) is thought to involve interaction with ergosterol and other ergostane sterols, resulting in disruption of the integrity and key functions of the plasma membrane. Emergence of clinically refractory isolates of Leishmania donovani and L. infantum is an ongoing issue and knowledge of potential resistance mechanisms can help to alleviate this problem. Here we report the characterisation of four independently selected L. donovani clones that are resistant to AmB. Whole genome sequencing revealed that in three of the moderately resistant clones, resistance was due solely to the deletion of a gene encoding C24-sterol methyltransferase (SMT1). The fourth, hyper-resistant resistant clone (>60-fold) was found to have a 24 bp deletion in both alleles of a gene encoding a putative cytochrome P450 reductase (P450R1). Metabolic profiling indicated these parasites were virtually devoid of ergosterol (0.2% versus 18% of total sterols in wild-type) and had a marked accumulation of 14-methylfecosterol (75% versus 0.1% of total sterols in wild-type) and other 14-alpha methylcholestanes. These are substrates for sterol 14-alpha demethylase (CYP51) suggesting that this enzyme may be a bona fide P450R specifically involved in electron transfer from NADPH to CYP51 during catalysis. Deletion of P450R1 in wild-type cells phenocopied the metabolic changes observed in our AmB hyper-resistant clone as well as in CYP51 nulls. Likewise, addition of a wild type P450R1 gene restored sterol profiles to wild type. Our studies indicate that P450R1 is essential for L. donovani amastigote viability, thus loss of this gene is unlikely to be a driver of clinical resistance. Nevertheless, investigating the mechanisms underpinning AmB resistance in these cells provided insights that refine our understanding of the L. donovani sterol biosynthetic pathway.

Synergistic delivery of hADSC-Exos and antioxidants has inhibitory effects on UVB-induced skin photoaging

Ultraviolet B (UVB) light exposure accelerates skin photoaging. Human adipose-derived stem cell exosomes (hADSC-Exos) and some antioxidants may have anti-photoaging effects. However, it is unknown whether the combination of hADSC-Exos and antioxidants plays a synergistic role in anti-photoaging. In cellular and 3D skin models, we showed that vitamin E (VE) and hADSC-Exos were optimal anti-photoaging combinations. In vivo, VE and hADSC-Exos increased skin tightening and elasticity in UVB-induced photoaging mice Combined treatment with VE and hADSC-Exos inhibited SIRT1/NF-κB pathway. These findings contribute to the understanding of hADSC-Exos in conjunction with other antioxidants, thereby providing valuable insights for the future pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Suboptimal micronutrient intake among children aged 6 to 23 months in Ethiopia: Further analysis of the demographic and health survey.

The recommended essential micronutrient such as food rich in vitamin-A or iron, multiple micronutrient powder or iron supplement, routine daily consumption of iodine, and vitamin-A supplement are deficient among children in Ethiopia. This has been a significant public health problem despite the government efforts. Although few studies have examined the micronutrient intake among children, they are limited in scope and methodological measurements. Analyzing the micronutrient intake among children across all regions and leveraging all essential micronutrient elements are crucial for generating improved evidence to better inform policy. Thus, we examined the micronutrient intake among children aged 6 to 23 months in Ethiopia. We used data from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. A two-stage stratified sampling technique was employed, and 1392 children aged 6 to 23 months were included in our analysis. We conducted a multilevel mixed-effect binary logistic regression analysis to identify determinants of micronutrient intake. In the final model, we used a p-value of less than 0.05 and Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with their 95% confidence interval (CI). We found that only 27.6% (95% CI: 26.8-31.6) of children aged 6 to 23 months were received the recommended micronutrients in Ethiopia. We identified that maternal educational status (Educated mothers (AOR = 2.09, 95%CI:1.23-3.58)), health facility delivery (AOR = 2.14, 95%CI:1.42-2.98), household wealth status (middle quantile (AOR = 1.80, 95%CI:1.01-3.21)), children's age (12 to 23 months age (AOR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.33-4.21)), and mother's exposure to media (AOR = 1.70, 95%CI: 1.42-2.04) were increased micronutrient intake, whereas residing in the rural communities (AOR = 0.27, 95%CI: 0.21-0.34) decreased micronutrient intake. Nearly three-fourths of children aged 6 to 23 months did not receive the recommended essential micronutrients in Ethiopia. Therefore, there is a need to broaden strategies aimed at enhancing the intake by improving information and knowledge dissemination among mothers during facility visits and through media channels.

Vitamin A influences the incretin hormone profiles by activating the retinoic acid receptor β

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the impact of Vitamin A (VA) on intestinal glucose metabolic phenotypes. MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice were randomized assigned to a VA-normal diet (VAN) or a VA-deficient diet (VAD) for 12 weeks. After12 weeks, the VAD mice were given 30 IU/g/d retinol for 10 days and VAN diet (VADN) for 10 weeks. By using glucose tolerance tests, immunofluorescence staining, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, siRNA transduction, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the glucose metabolic phenotypes as well as secretory function and intracellular hormone changes of STC-1 were assessed. ResultsVAD mice showed a decrease of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and a loss of intestinal glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) expression. Through reintroducing dietary VA to VAD mice, the intestinal VA levels, GLP-1 expression and normal glucose can be restored. The incubation with retinol increased VA signaling factors expression within STC-1 cells, especially retinoic acid receptor β (RARβ). The activation of RARβ restored intracellular incretin hormone synthesis and secretory function. ConclusionsVA deficiency leads to an imbalance of intestinal glucose metabolic phenotypes through a mechanism involving RARβ signaling pathway, suggesting a new method to achieve the treatment for VAD induced glucose metabolism impairment.

Dietary nanocomposite of vitamin C and vitamin E enhanced the performance of Nile tilapia

Nowadays, nanomaterials enter high numbers of daily used products and drug manufacture. A nanocomposite of vitamins C (VC) and vitamin E (VE) with chitosan as a vehicle and protector was used in a comparative eight-week feeding study, Nile tilapia weighing 31.2 ± 0.36 g distributed in seven groups and fed (G1) basal diet, (G2) bulk VC, (G3) VC- nanoparticles (NPs), (G4) bulk VE, (G5) VE-NPs, bulk VCE (G6), and (G7) VC plus VE (VCE)-NPs, respectively. The Nile tilapia-fed nanocomposite vitamins had significantly higher growth performance compared to the control; VCE-NPs had the superiority among tested supplementations where total weight gain (63.6 g), daily weight gain (1.13 g), relative growth rate (206.1%) with lower feed conversion rate (1.6) and insignificant feed intake (101.5 g). Overall, the level of liver enzymes was significantly decreased in fish serum after eight-week nanocomposite supplementation, and dietary VCE-NPs caused a significant reduction of serum AST (18.45 IU/L) and ALT (14.77 IU/L) compared to the control 25.5 IU/L and 17.6 IU/L, respectively. Fish fed dietary VCE-NPs, VC-NPs, and VE-NPs had significant enhancement of RBCs 4.2 × 106/μL, 3.8 × 106/μL, and 3.55 × 106/μL; WBCs 46.15 × 103, 42.9 × 103, and 44 × 103/μL, respectively, Also TP was significantly higher 6.38 g/dL in VCE-NPs group compared to the control and the other treatments. Over all, the dietary nanocomposite vitamins boost the innate immunity of the experimental Nile tilapia, the oxidative burst activity (OBA), phagocytic activity (PA), phagocytic index (PI), and serum antibacterial (SAA) were significantly increased compared to those received bulk vitamins and the control. The activity of antioxidant biomarkers in fish serum including glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione reductase (GR), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) showed a rise in the serum of Nile tilapia received nano- and bulk-form of VC and VCE compared to the control and both forms of VE. Furthermore, the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were significantly increased in the fish serum following the trend of antioxidants enzymes. In conclusion, a dietary nanocomposite of vitamin C and vitamin E enhanced Nile tilapia's growth performance and feed utilization. It could also improve health status and immune response. The values of antioxidant biomarkers indicated that the nanocomposite could help the fish body scavenge the generated reactive oxidative species (ROS).

The ameliorative roles of dietary mannan oligosaccharides and vitamin E on growth performance, intestinal microbes, and structure, flesh quality, nutrient efficacy and stress resistance of pompano, Trachinotus ovatus

The current study aimed to examine the effects of mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) and vitamin E (VE) on the growth, intestinal microorganisms, and structure, ammonia, and pathogen resistance of golden pompano, Trachinotus ovatus. Four diets were used: Control (un-supplementation), VE (0.01 % Vitamin E), MOS (0.4 % mannan oligosaccharide), and MOS+VE (0.40 %MOS+0.01 %VE) for 56-day. The results revealed a synergistic effect of MOS+VE on increments of growth rate of pompano. The total aerobic bacteria significantly increased in fish fed supplemented diets, with the highest counts was in fish fed MOS+VE. The Vibrio counts was significantly diminished in fish supplemented diets, with a minimal counts was in fish fed MOS+VE. Intestinal morphology (villus length, villus width, and villus surface area) of pompano fed MOS+VE and the mixture of MOS+VE significantly improved, with the best results observed in fish fed the combination (MOS+VE). Both MOS and VE enhanced protein and reduce lipid; however, fish fed combination (MOS+VE) had the highest performance in terms of protein content. The nutrient utilization (PER, PPV, LER and LPV) were significantly enhance in fish fed VE or MOS, but the highest of those values were in fish fed MOS+VE). Pompano can tolerate best against ammonia and pathogen, when supplemented with MOS and VE in their diet. The survival of fish fed MOS or VE were significantly higher under ammonia and pathogen infection, but insignificantly difference between them. It is recommended to add 4 g.kg−1 MOS and 0.1 g.kg−1 VE to the diet of pompano.

Association of plasma vitamin A level with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a community aging population-based cross-sectional study

Recent studies indicated that vitamin A (VA) might be involved in the pathology of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the association between circulating VA level and T2DM. A total of 1 818 subjects aged 50 years old and above were recruited from the community. Binomial logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were applied to analyze the association of plasma VA level with the risk of T2DM. Serum VA and lipid-adjusted VA levels of T2DM patients were significantly higher than that of non-T2DM subjects (P < 0.05). The ratios of plasma VA/total cholesterol (TC), VA/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and VA/low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) were positively associated with the risk of T2DM in the aging population (P < 0.05). Compared with the Q1 level, subjects with Q2 to Q3 levels of plasma VA/triglyceride (TG) have decreased risk of T2DM (odds ratio (OR)Q2 = 0.68, PQ2 = 0.021; ORQ3 = 0.59, PQ3 < 0.01). Our results indicated that the imbalance of circulating lipids and VA might affect the relationship between VA and T2DM. The middle and aging subjects with higher ratios of plasma VA/TC, VA/HDL-c, and VA/LDL-c displayed increased risk for T2DM, but the moderate ratio of VA/TG might protect against risk of T2DM.