Vitamins bioavailability

Little data is available on the interaction of protein modification for improved functionality and vitamin bioavailability from modified food-stuffs. Some water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins are protein-bound in their transport, storage and/or active forms. Therefore, methods used to cause dramatic alteration of protein conformation or chemical structure can be assumed to alter some vitamins as well. 

Plants contain to some extent less bioavailable forms of vitamin B6, e.g., glycosylates, or biologically inactive metabolites, e.g., e-pyridoxin-lysin-complexes. In addition, the release of vitamin B6 from foods rich in fiber is assumed to be delayed. The bioavailability of vitamin B6 from animal-derived foods is therefore overall higher than from plant-derived foods. Good dietary sources of vitamin B6 include chicken, fish, pork, beans, and pulses [1]. 

Pool concentration of a substance that exceeds the threshold - for example megadose vitamin C - or substances that are excreted unchanged because they cannot be metabolised, such as sugar alcohols, or compounds that are not biologically essential, such as carcinogens, bacterial toxins and some minor plant constituents, are also bioavailable (and thus bioactive) in that they have a metabolic impact, even if this is only the stimulation of detoxification processes, or the use of energy for their excretion. 

SCHUMANN K, CLASSEN H G, HAGES M, PRINZ-LANGENOHL R, PIETRZIK K and BIESALSKI H K (1997) Bioavailability of oral vitamins, minerals and trace elements in perspective Arzneim-Forsch/Drug Res 47(1) 369-380. 

With investigations of phytochemicals and functional foods, the outcome measure is generally going to be a biomarker of disease, such as serum cholesterol level as a marker of heart disease risk, or indicators of bone turnover as markers of osteoporosis risk. Alternatively, markers of exposure may also indicate the benefit from a functional food by demonstrating bioavailability, such as increased serum levels of vitamins or carotenoids. Some components will be measurable in both ways. For instance, effects of a folic acid-fortified food could be measured via decrease in plasma homocysteine levels, or increase in red blood cell folate. 

In order to exhibit provitamin A activity, the carotenoid molecule must have at least one unsubstituted p-ionone ring and the correct number and position of methyl groups in the polyene chain. Compared to aU-trans P-carotene (100% provitamin A activity), a-carotene, P-cryptoxanthin, and y-carotene show 30 to 50% activity and cis isomers of P-carotene less than 10%. Vitamin A equivalence values of carotenoids from foods have been recently revised to higher ratio numbers (see Table 3.2.2) due to poorer bioavailability of provitamin A carotenoids from foods than previously thought when assessed with more recent and appropriate methods. 

Lead was found to decrease tissue levels of vitamin C in a study in rats (Vij et al. 1998). Since vitamin C is required for the synthesis of heme, the authors suggested that some hematological effects of lead (e.g., inhibition of ALAD) may be due at least partially to a lead-induced decrease in bioavailability or increased demand of vitamin C. Supplementation with vitamin C almost completely restored ALAD activity in blood and liver. 

Milk is an excellent source of calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamine (vitamin Bl) and vitamin B12, and a valuable source of folate, niacin, magnesium and zinc (Food Standards Agency, 2002). In particular, dairy products are an important source of calcium, which is vital for maintaining optimal bone health in humans (Prentice, 2004). The vitamins and minerals it provides are all bioavailable (i.e. available for absorption and use by the body) and thus milk consumption in humans increases the chances of achieving nutritional recommendations for daily vitamins and mineral intake (Bellew et al., 2000). 

Carotene (all-trans), (3-cryptoxanthin (all-trans and -cis), zeaxanthin (all-trans), luteoxanthin isomers, violaxanthin (all-trans and -cis), and neoxanthin (all-trans and -cis) were identified in several mango cultivars (Mercadante and others 1997 Ornelas-Paz and others 2007, 2008). Mango retinol was found to be highly bioavail-able by estimating vitamin A and carotene reserves in the liver and plasma of rats. Information on the tocopherol content in mango is very scarce, but it seems to be low (Burns and others 2003 Ornelas-Paz and others 2007). 

Roodenburg AJ, Leenen R, van het Hof KH, Weststrate JA and Tijburg LB. 2000. Amount of fat in the diet affects bioavailability of lutein esters but not of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and vitamin E in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 71 1187-1193. 

Other potential adverse effects include impaired absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K hypernatremia and hyperchloremia GI obstruction and reduced bioavailability of acidic drugs such as warfarin, nicotinic acid, thyroxine, acetaminophen, hydrocortisone, hydrochlorothiazide, loperamide, and possibly iron. Drug interactions may be avoided by alternating administration times with an interval of 6 hours or greater between the BAR and other drugs. 

The importance of dietary or endogenously synthesized vitamin D has long been recognized as a primary factor influencing the bioavailability of calcium. Some of the most exciting biochemical-nutritional research in recent years has been devoted to determining the mechanisms involved in vitamin D-calcium interactions. This research has been well reviewed in other publications. The objective of the symposium upon which this book is based was to review some of the other lesser-known dietary factors that appear to have an impact on the bioavailability of calcium. 

These conclusions were seriously questioned (21-24 and recent results indicate that the bioavailability of Ca2+ is the same from a casein diet as from a high-phytate soy concentrate (25). Oberleas contends that, in the presence of adequate amounts of Ca2+ and vitamin D, dietary phytate is not rachitogenic, even though it may bind substantial amounts of Ca2+ (J 5). This controversy, the relative paucity of available information, and the growing incidence of Ca2+ deficiency prompted us to investigate further the chemical interactions between Ca2+ and phytate and to assess its effect on the bioavailability of Ca2+ administered to mice by gavage. 

Review of studies on the effect of oxalic acid on calcium bioavailability in rats and in humans indicates that most of the research was done between 1930 and 1950. Decreased availability of calcium in young rats was reported when spinach containing oxalic acid was fed with low calcium diets. The extent of the effect of oxalic acid on calcium availability was shown to be related to levels of calcium and oxalic acid, as well as the presence of vitamin D in the diet. In human studies there was generally no effect of oxalic acid on calcium balance however, in a few studies decreased calcium balances were reported. There is recent evidence that oxalic acid consumed along with a moderately high level of fiber intake may have adverse effects on calcium balance of human subjects. 

The common practice of adding iron to breakfast cereals or to vitamin supplements exemplifies the first. Here the first requirements are cosmetic, that the iron-containing compound added should not cause discoloration or adversely affect flavor. It is also an advantage for the added iron-containing compound to be sparingly water-soluble, but for the iron to be reasonably bioavailable and not be incompatible with other constituents (335). There is a great deal of inorganic and physical chemistry involved in these matters, most of which is buried in the technical and patent literature. 

Pharmacokinetics The parietal cells of the stomach secrete intrinsic factor, which regulates the amount of vitamin B-12 absorbed in the terminal ileum. Bioavailability of oral preparations is approximately 25%. Vitamin B12 is primarily stored in the liver. Enterohepatic circulation plays a key role in recycling vitamin B-12 from mainly bile. If plasma-binding proteins are saturated, excess free vitamin B- 2 will be excreted in the kidney. 

C. Bioavailability of dietary, emulsified and solubilized fat soluble vitamins... 

In summary, our bioavailability study provided for fhe firsf time data for fhe shorf-ferm bioavailability of ot-tocopherol solubilizate in comparison to regular fat-soluble preparations. Our results pointed to a higher short-term bioavailability of vitamin E in micelles versus fat-soluble forms of fhis vifamin in healthy adult volunteers both with regard to AUCs and with regard to maximum increases in plasma vitamin concentrations. 

Most of fhe above-mentioned bioavailability, intervention, and case studies came to the conclusion that water-miscible or water-soluble preparations of faf-soluble vitamins were superior to regular supplements. Based on the evidence from our own bioavailability study as well as from fhe studies mentioned above, it therefore seems justified to assume that fat-soluble vitamin deficit patients with fat maldigestion and/or malabsorption can be corrected more efficiently by using water-soluble as opposed to fat-soluble preparations. Another advantage of water-soluble preparations in general might be that lower daily doses are required when compared to fat-soluble preparations to achieve the same results. 

Martini and Wood (2002) tested the bioavailability of 3 different sources of Ca in 12 healthy elderly subjects (9 women and 3 men of mean SEM age 70 3 and 76 6 years, respectively) in a 6-week crossover trial conducted in a Human Study Unit. Each Ca source supplied 1000 mg Ca/day and was ingested for 1 week with meals (as 500 mg Ca 2x/day), thus contributing to a high-Ca intake (1300 mg Ca/day). A low-Ca intake (300 mg Ca/day strictly from the basal diet) was adhered to for 1 week in-between each treatment. The Ca sources included skim milk, CCM-fortified OJ, and a dietary supplement of CaCOa. Assessment parameters were indirect measures predicted to reflect the relative bioavailability of Ca postprandially via an acute PTH suppression test (hourly for 4h). Longer-term responses to Ca supplementation were assessed via a number of urinary and serum hormone, mineral, and bone resorption biomarkers (i.e., vitamin D, Ca, phosphorus, and collagen t) e 1 N-telopeptide cross-links). 

At low and medium doses, it is well established that the nutritional value of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats as macronutrients are not significantly impaired by irradiation, and neither the mineral bioavailability is impacted. Like all other energy depositing process, the application of ionizing radiation treatment can reduce the levels of certain sensitive vitamins. Nutrient loss can be minimized by irradiating food in a cold or frozen state and under reduced levels of oxygen. Thiamin and ascorbic acid are the most radiation sensitive, water-soluble vitamins, whereas the most sensitive, fat-soluble vitamin is vitamin E. In chilled pork cuts at the 3 kGy maximum at 0-10°C, one may expect about 35 0% loss of thiamin in frozen, uncooked pork meat irradiated at a 7 kGy maximum at —20°C approx., 35 % loss of it can be expected [122]. 

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