Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-vfjqv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T12:38:42.528Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The possible significance of parallel changes in plasma lutein and retinol in Pakistani infants during the summer season

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

D. I. Thurnham ,
C. A. Northrop-Clewes ,
P. I. Paracha  and
U. J. McLoone
D. I. Thurnham
Affiliation:
Human Nutrition Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 ISA
C. A. Northrop-Clewes
Affiliation:
Human Nutrition Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 ISA
P. I. Paracha
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan
U. J. McLoone
Affiliation:
Human Nutrition Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 ISA
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Recent evidence suggests that plasma lutein is better correlated than either β-carotene or lycopene with its respective carotenoid intake and therefore may be a better marker of vegetable intake than either β-carotene or lycopene. In the study reported in this paper, measurements of plasma carotenes and retinol were made in infants from two villages near Peshawar in the North West Frontier Province, Pakistan, in July and November 1993. The approximate age at the start was 14 months, and 101 boys and ninety girls completed the study. Of the usual plasma carotenes, only lutein was measurable in all samples and was correlated with retinol in both boys (r 0.38, P < 0.0001; r 0.35, P < 0.001) and girls (r 0.21, P = 0.038; r 0.307, P = 0.003) at the two time points respectively. In addition, the change in lutein was even more strongly correlated with the change in retinol in both boys (r 0.453, P <0.0001) and girls (r 0.439, P < 0.0001). In August β-carotene was measurable in approximately 8 % of samples and this increased to 31 % in November but there was no correlation between β-carotene and retinol at any time. There were negligible amounts of lycopene and β-cryptoxanthin in plasma at both time points. The mean concentration of plasma retinol in the infants was 0.66 μmol/l at baseline and 59 % of the infants had retinol concentrations < 0.7 μmol/l. In addition, there were fifteen infants whose levels were below 0.35 μmol/l suggesting that vitamin A status in the population was marginal. Food intake of the infants was not monitored in the present study but breast feeding continues for up to 2 years in this part of Pakistan and most infants would be weaned onto selected foods eaten by the family. The close correlation between plasma lutein and retinol suggests that the increase in retinol over the summer season may be attributable to an increased availability of green vegetables to the families. The source of lutein to the infants is most likely to be the breast milk since such vegetables are unlikely to be given to infants except to suck as a weaning food. The results may indicate the potential usefulness of plasma lutein as a marker of changes in vegetable intake and changes in vitamin A status in Third World infants and children.

Keywords

LuteinCarotenoidsVitamin AInfants
Type
Human and Clinical Nutrition
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 78 , Issue 5 , November 1997 , pp. 775 - 784
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1997

References

REFERENCES

Bhaskarachary, K., Sankara Rao, D. S., Deosthale, Y. G., Rani, M. & Reddy, V. (1996). Provitamin A carotenoid content of common foods. In XVII International Vitamin A Consultative Group Meeting 7, p. 83. Washington, DC: ILSI Human Nutrition Institute.Google Scholar
Chug-ahuja, J. K., Holden, J. M., Forman, M. R., Mangels, A. R., Beecher, G. R. & Lanza, E. (1993) The development and application of a carotenoid database for fruits, vegetables, and selected multicomponent foods. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 93, 318–323.Google Scholar
de Pee, S., West, C. E., MuhilalKaryadi, D. Karyadi, D. & Hautvast, J. G. A. J. (1995) Lack of improvement in vitamin A status with increased consumption of dark-green leafy vegetables. Lancet 346, 75–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Granado, F., Olmedilla, B., Blanco, I. & Rojas-Hidalgo, E. (1992) Carotenoid composition of raw and cooked Spanish vegetables. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 40, 2135–2140.Google Scholar
Granado, F., Olmedilla, B., BlancoI, I, & Rojas-Hidalgo, E. (1996) Major fruit and vegetable contributors to the main serum carotenoids in the Spanish diet. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 50, 246–251.Google Scholar
Gregory, J. R., Foster, K., Tyler, H. & Wiseman, M. (1990) The Dietary and Nutritional Survey of British Adults. London: H.M. Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Hart, D. J. & Scott, K. J. (1995) Development and evaluation of an HPLC method for the analysis of carotenoids in foods, and the measurement of carotenoid content of vegetables and fruits commonly consumed in the UK. Food Chemistry 54, 101–111.Google Scholar
Heinonen, M. I., Ollilainen, V., Linkola, E. K., Varo, P. T. & Koivistoinen, P. E. (1989) Carotenoids in Finnish foods: vegetables, fruits, and berries. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 37, 655–659.Google Scholar
Howard, A. N., Williams, N. R., Palmer, C. R., Cambou, J. P., Evans, A. E., Foote, J. W., Marques-Vidal, P., McCrum, E. E., Ruidavets, J. B., Nigdikar, S. V., Rajput-Williams, J. & Thurnham, D. I. (1996) Do hydroxy carotenoids prevent coronary heart disease? A comparison between Belfast and Toulouse. International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research 66, 113–118.Google Scholar
Kostic, D., White, W. S. & Olson, J. A. (1995) Intestinal absorption, serum clearance, and interactions between lutein and β-carotene when administered to human adults in separate or combined doses. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 62, 604–610.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Center for Health Statistics (1976) Growth Charts. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Public Health Service, Health Resources Administration (HRA76-1120, 25 3).Google Scholar
Northrop-Clewes, C. A., Paracha, P. I., McLoone, U. J. & Thurnham, D. I. (1996) Impact of improved vitamin A status on response to iron supplements in Pakistani infants. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 64, 694–699.Google Scholar
Olson, J. A. (1984) Serum levels of vitamin A and carotenoids as reflectors of nutritional status. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 73, 1439–1444.Google Scholar
Pilch, S. M. (editor)(1985). Guidelines for interpretative criteria. In Assessment of the Vitamin A Nutritional Status of the U.S. Population Based on Data Collected in the Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, pp. 17–23. Bethesda: FASEB.Google Scholar
Scott, K. J., Thurnham, D. I., Hart, D. J., Bingham, S. A. & Day, K. (1996) The correlation between the intake of lutein, lycopene and β-carotene from vegetables and fruits, and blood plasma concentrations in a group of women aged 50–65 years in the UK. British Journal of Nutrition 75, 409–418.Google Scholar
Solomons, N. W. & Bulux, J. (1993) Plant sources of provitamin A and human nutriture. Nutrition Reviews 51, 199–204.Google Scholar
Sommer, A., Tarwotjo, I., Djunaedi, E., West, K. P., Loeden, A. A. & Tilden, R. (1986) Impact of vitamin A supplementation on childhood mortality. Lancet i, 1169–1173.Google Scholar
Thurnham, D. I. & Flora, P. S. (1988 a) Stability of individual carotenoids, retinol, and tocopherol in stored plasma (letter). Clinical Chemistry 34, 1947.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thurnham, D. I. & Flora, P. S. (1988 b) Do higher vitamin A requirements in men explain the difference between the sexes in plasma provitamin A carotenoids and retinol? Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 47, 181A.Google Scholar
Thurnham, D. I., Munoz, N., Lu, J.-B., Wahrendorf, J., Zheng, S.-F., Hambidge, K. M. & Crespi, M. (1988 a) Nutritional and haematological status of Chinese farmers: the influence of 13.5 months treatment with riboflavin, retinol and zinc. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 42, 647–660.Google ScholarPubMed
Thurnham, D. I., Smith, E. & Flora, P. S. (1988 b) Concurrent liquid-chromatographic assay of retinol, α-tocopherol, β-carotene, α-carotene, lycopene and β-cryptoxanthin in plasma with tocopherol acetate as internal standard. Clinical Chemistry 34, 377–381.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thurnham, D. I., Williams, N. R., Evans, A. E., Cambou, J. P. & Howard, A. N. (1994) Plasma antioxidant nutrients in Belfast and Toulouse. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 53, 261A.Google Scholar
Willett, W. C., Stampfer, M. J., Underwood, B. A., Taylor, J. O. & Hennekens, C. H. (1983) Vitamins A, E and carotene: effects of supplementation on their plasma levels. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 38, 559–566.Google Scholar
Zeng, S., Furr, H. C. & Olson, J. A. (1992) Metabolism of carotenoid analogues in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 56, 433–439.Google Scholar