Vitamins & Minerals

Aim: To create awareness about Vitamin A deficiency among middle aged men.

Objective: The objective of this study is to find the etiology, diet, symptoms and factors affecting Vitamin A deficiency among middle aged men.

Background: Vitamin A is an unsaturated organic compound. It is present as retinoids in animals and betacarotene in plants. This vitamin is responsible for maintaining good vision, immunity and helps in development but the deficiency of vitamin A is the key cause of night blindness and other vision disorders. Vitamin A deficiency is due to the lack of information among the people about nutritional eating, since diet is the major cause of this deficiency. Along with diet, many infections are present in developing countries which drain the vitamin A reserve leading to a deficit making the individual more susceptible to infections. So awareness is the key to prevention. Vitamin A deficiency is common in developing countries, and is said to cause blindness to cause in over 500,000 children year.

Reason: To create awareness among men so that they could influence their families to become healthier and prevent the newer generations to become affected by this disease.

Trachyspermum ammi (TA) is a traditional medicinal plant which can be considered as a source of natural antioxidants and can be used for a wide range of infectious diseases. Our objectives were to explore the biochemical efficacies of the aqueous and acetonic extract of TA with special emphasis on antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Nutritional profile and phytochemical screening were performed by standard methods. The agar well diffusion method was used to assess the antimicrobial activity against ten (10) clinical bacterial strains and five (5) fungal stains. The free radical scavenging activity of the acetonic extract was estimated spectrophotometrically by the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. In seeds of TA, the crude fat, crude fiber, vitamin C, moisture, ash contents, crude protein, TSS, total acidity, pH and total sugar were 4.6 ± 0.19%, 4.2 ± 0.1%, 13.5 ± 0.7%, 9.5 ± 0.19%, 11.5 ± 1.7%, 1.46 ± 0.2%, 1.1 ± 0.01%, 0.65 ± 0.01%, 5.75 ± 0.9% and 5.1 ± 0.9% respectively. TA tested positive for alkaloids, carbohydrates and sugar, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, protein and amino acid, gum and mucilage and tannins, while negative results were found for saponins. Antioxidant assessments by DPPH assay showed that acetonic extract of TA possess high radical-scavenging activity i.e., 71.0 ± 2.3%. Vitamin C was used as reference standard. Susceptibility testing of acetonic extract of TA revealed strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (zone of growth inhibition 13 mm), good activity against Salmonella typhi and Xanthomonas (with zone diameter of 12 mm), while TA was least active against Salmonella heidelberg (inhibition zone diameter of 5 mm), Klebsiella pneumoniae and Clostridium with 6 mm zone of inhibition. TA also exhibited maximum antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger (15 mm) and Entomola (11 mm). While least activity was observed against A. flavus and Alternaria alternata (inhibition zone diameter of 9 mm, each). Based on the experimental data, TA could be considered as a therapeutic agent to inhibit the free radical-mediated reactions in biological systems. However further molecular studies and mechanistic insights are needed.

Osteoporosis is a major public threat next to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In the wake of gravity of osteoporotic morbidity, traditional therapies in the form of diet with fewer side effects are being preferred now days. The present study investigates the efficacy of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) of Fabaceae family, a source of isoflavones along with Vitamin-D in the bone formation of MG-63 human Osteosarcoma cell lines, a model to study Osteoblasts. The cells are exposed to different dose concentrations of Daidzein (0.01, 0.1, 1, 2.5, 7.5 and 10 μM), Genestein (0.01, 0.1, 1, C2.5, 7.5 and 10 μM), Vitamin-D (15 to 50 μM), Cow Pea extract (having 18 μM Daidzein: 6 μM Genestein) and in combinations of Daidzein+Genestein (5 to 30 μM) and the combination of all at 12, 24, 36, 48 hrs respectively. Biochemical parameters like Osteocalcin activity, Alkaline phosphatase and Acid phosphatase activity assays, Intracellular calcium and reactive oxygen species levels were measured. Antioxidant activity of the enzymes like Catalase, Superoxide dismutase, Malonaldehyde, Vitamin C, and Gluthathione reductase were also tested. The results indicated that the cell proliferation of the exposed groups increased when compared with their respective controls. Similarly, antioxidant activity of the enzymes like Catalase, Superoxide dismutase, Gluthathione reductase, Vitamin C and biochemical parameters like Osteocalcin activity, Alkaline phosphatase and Intracellular calcium levels showed a significant increase in their activities in the exposed groups when compared with their respective controls. In contrast the exposed groups showed a decrease in Reactive oxygen species, Acid phosphatase and Malonaldehyde activity with respect to their controls. Thus, all different parameters through different approaches showed the stimulating effects of Cowpea isoflavones along with the vitamin D on bone formation.

Environment and health are interrelated suggesting any change in one will effect and alter the other. Domestic solid waste dump exposure exerts harmful impact on health of humans especially children. Children (age group 5-7 years) were compared with a group of children having similar socio-economic background but not exposed to waste dumps. The results showed that the weight (M=15.8 kg with SD ± 5.6), height (M=41.4 inches with SD ± 3.7) and BMI (M=14.1 kg.m2 with SD ± 3.3) of observational children were below the values of those not exposed and also below recommended values. Additionally, they exhibited the clinical symptoms of iron, calcium and protein deficiencies seen in their pale eyes, nails and skin, discoloured teeth and brittle hair. Overall disease status in both groups was almost similar. Waste exposed children were suffering more from diarrhoea as compared to others. Other health related problems like eyes infection, skin infections/allergies, respiratory tract infections and nervous disorders were also prevalent among waste dump dwelling children. The results of CDC percentile growth charts depicted that waste-exposed children scored lower for weight-for-age (30%) sample exhibited 3rd-5th percentile scores) and BMI-for-age growth charts (25% sample exhibited below 5th percentile scores), whereas height-for-age growth charts showed no discrete results. Hence, it has been proved that compromised health and nutritional status was observed among waste exposed children by reporting malnutrition and wasting in them.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess factors associated with plasma α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherol in obese women and to examine change in tocopherol levels after a 1-year weight loss intervention across three dietary approaches. Factors examined were dietary factors (alcohol consumption, diet composition, and supplement use) and non-dietary factors (body mass index, physical activity, plasma cholesterol levels, waist circumference, and age).

Methods: Overweight/obese, nondiabetic women were randomly assigned to one of three diets: lower carbohydrate (45% energy), higher fat (35% energy), lower fat (20% energy), higher carbohydrate (65% energy), or walnut-rich (18% energy), higher fat (35% energy), lower carbohydrate (45% energy). Data and blood samples were obtained at baseline, 6- and 12-month clinic visits (n=245, 213, and 194 respectively).

Results: At baseline, age was directly related to plasma α-tocopherol and inversely related to γ- and δ-tocopherol (P<0.05 for each); body mass index was inversely associated with plasma α-tocopherol and positively associated with β-, γ- and δ-tocopherol (P<0.05 for each). Physical activity was directly associated with α-tocopherol at baseline (P<0.05) and inversely associated with β-tocopherol at 12 months (P=0.03). Dietary supplement use was positively associated with α-tocopherol at baseline (P<0.05) and 12 months (P=0.007), and negatively associated with 12- month γ-tocopherol (P=0.02). Plasma cholesterol was positively associated with 12-month α- (P<0.001), β- (P=0.003), and γ-tocopherol (P=0.007). The walnut-rich diet group had higher plasma γ-tocopherol concentration than other diet groups at 12 months (P=0.002).

Conclusions: Plasma tocopherol levels generally declined in association with weight loss in obese women, although age, adiposity, physical activity, plasma cholesterol, and dietary supplement use influenced these levels. Responses were similar to lower carbohydrate and lower fat diets, and walnut prescription minimized the reduction in plasma γ-tocopherol.