Vitamin A deficiency

Background: Background and Aim: Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy has negative clinical consequences, such as associations with glucose intolerance, pre-eclampsia, preterm birth and intra-uterine growth retardation. The rate of vitamin D deficiency in first trimester pregnant women differed depending on their skin colour. Objective: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency and its association with skin color in first trimester pregnant women, at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi. Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 156 vitamin-D deficient first trimester pregnant women at Derma Clinic, Fatimiyah Hospital, Karachi from during the period from July 2021 to March 2022. Ethical approval was taken from the hospital's ethical committee. All the twin pregnancy women >18 years with parathyroid history, chronic malabsorption, HIV, liver disease, and suspected drug use were excluded. Vitamin-D deficiency was referred to as <20 ng/mL against sufficient >20 ng/mL. Written informed consent was taken from each individual. During routine examination of pregnancy, approximately 10 mL blood sample was collected and centrifuged. Serum was extracted and analyzed for vitamin-D deficiency. SPSS version 25 was utilized for data analysis. The overall mean age in vitamin D sufficiency and deficiency was 30.45 and 28.91 years respectively. The incidence of vitamin D deficiency was 53.8% (n=84). Of the total, about 72 (46.2%) pregnant women were vitamin D sufficient. The mean serum concentration (25-hydroxyvitamin D) was 25.9 ng/mL (95% CI, 24.5-27.5) in vitamin-D sufficient group and 10.7 ng/mL (95% CI, 9.5-11.5) in vitamin-D deficient group women. Deficiency in Vitamin-D was significantly found in dark-skinned women compared to light-skinned women (OR 2.56; 95% CI 1.1-6.35) based on the most parsimonious model when adjusted for vitamin D supplement, age, smoking, BMI, and parity. The present study found that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women was 53.5%. The differences in prevalence and 25-OH vitamin D levels mainly rely on maternal skin color, highlighting the need for supplementation programs and consequent screening for pregnant women particularly, dark-skinned pregnant women.

Background: Background and Aim: Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy has negative clinical consequences, such as associations with glucose intolerance, pre-eclampsia, preterm birth and intra-uterine growth retardation. The rate of vitamin D deficiency in first trimester pregnant women differed depending on their skin colour. Objective: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency and its association with skin color in first trimester pregnant women, at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi. Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 156 vitamin-D deficient first trimester pregnant women at Derma Clinic, Fatimiyah Hospital, Karachi from during the period from July 2021 to March 2022. Ethical approval was taken from the hospital’s ethical committee. All the twin pregnancy women &gt;18 years with parathyroid history, chronic malabsorption, HIV, liver disease, and suspected drug use were excluded. Vitamin-D deficiency was referre...

The aim of this study was to determine the proximate food composition and nutritional facts in processed jam of Cambuci pepper subjected to organic cropping system in the Agroecological Production Integrated System (SIPA), Seropédica, RJ, in the 2nd half of 2010. The processed and fresh products were analyzed for moisture, protein, lipid, ash, total and reducing carbohydrates, pH, total acidity and total soluble solids (ºBrix). The fresh Cambuci peppers presented 89.60% of moisture, 0.14% of ash, 0.14% of lipids, 0.95% of proteins, 9.50% of total carbohydrates, acidity 4% (citric acid), soluble solids of 7.3ºBrix, reducing sugar content of 5.9% and pH of 5.14. The jam showed values of protein (1.61 %), total carbohydrates (55.65%), reducing sugars (7.48%), soluble solids (58ºBrix) content and pH (4.83) and lower values of moisture (42.53%), lipids (0%) and acid content (0.36%). The nutrition facts of obtained jam were 40.6 Kcal of caloric value and 11.13 g of carbohydrates per porti...

Objective: To determine the impact of vitamin A supplementation on child morbidity and nutritional status. Design: A community based follow-up (interventional) in nature. Setting: Two randomly selected Weredas (districts) of Tigray, North Ethiopia were studied between 1996 and 1997. Subjects: Four thousand seven hundred and seventy children aged between six and 72 months, selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure were enrolled and clinically assessed for xerophthalmia and nutritional status. A sub-sample of these children (n = 281) was further assessed for their serum retinol levels. The pre and post intervention data on xerophthalmia, morbidity, nutritional status and serum retinol levels were compared. Results: Vitamin A capsule coverage of 87% in all the villages of the Weredas and a statistically significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the prevalence of Bitot's spot (from 1.5 to 0.5), fever (from 29.8 to 14.2), diarrhoea (from 30.2 to 18.2), oedema (from 9.2 to 3.2), measles (from 14.0 to 6.2), conjunctivitis (from 10.2 to 3.0), stunted (from 64.2 to 42.7), wasted (from 12.8 to 2.5) and underweight (from 46.2 to 24.2). The proportion of children with normal serum retinol concentration (> 0.7 µmole/L) has also improved significantly (from 36.8 to 56.2). In conclusion, the significant improvement in morbidity and nutritional status that followed the intervention programme although encouraging, it still indicates the importance of coupling periodic provision of Vitamin A capsules with nutrition education.

Previous investigations have evidenced the importance of CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPs) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)␥ for lung development, especially for alveolar type II cells (ATII). This prompted us to explore whether ATII maturation-promoting mediators controlled their expression in isolated ATII. In whole rat lung, C/EBP␣, ␤, ␦, and PPAR␥ mRNAs increased 3-5 times between gestational day 18 and term (Day 22), dropped around birth, then reincreased. C/EBP␤ and ␦, but not PPAR␥, displayed similar profile in isolated ATII; C/EBP␣ transcript disappeared and the protein became hardly detectable in isolated cells. In cultured ATII, dexamethasone increased C/EBP␤ and PPAR␥ mRNAs 2-4 times, and cyclic AMP increased C/EBP␤ and ␦ mRNAs ‫ف‬ 1.5 times. Whereas retinoic acid increased C/EBP␤ and PPAR␥ mRNAs 1.5 times in ATII in vitro, vitamin-A deficiency strongly decreased fetal lung C/EBP␣, ␤, and PPAR␥ transcripts in vivo. C/EBP␤, ␦, and PPAR␥ mRNAs were also increased in vitro by epidermal growth factor and keratinocyte growth factor, whereas they were unchanged by the maturation inhibitor transforming growth factor-␤. C/EBP␣ expression was not reinduced by any mediator. Changes in transcripts were reflected in protein levels analyzed through Western blotting. These results argue for a role of these factors in ATII functional maturation, and indicate a multifactorial control of their ontogeny. CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPs), a family of basic leucine-zipper transcription factors control a wide array of genes and have been postulated to serve a crucial role in normal tissue development and regulation of cell proliferation or differentiation in various organs (1). With regard to lung development and functions, various studies have shown the involvement of these factors. Thus, the homozygous C/EBP␣ gene null mutation in the mouse resulted in animal death shortly after birth, with abnormal lung histology including interstitial thickening (2) and hyperproliferation of alveolar epithelial type II cells (ATII)

Most of the maize (Zea mays L.) varieties in developing countries have low content of micronutrients including vitamin A. As a result, people who are largely dependent on cereal-based diets suffer from health challenges due to micronutrient deficiencies. Marker assisted recurrent selection (MARS), which increases the frequency of favorable alleles with advances in selection cycle, could be used to enhance the provitamin A (PVA) content of maize. This study was carried out to determine changes in levels of PVA carotenoids and genetic diversity in two maize synthetics that were subjected to two cycles of MARS. The two populations, known as HGA and HGB, and their advanced selection cycles (C1 and C2) were evaluated at Ibadan in Nigeria. Selection increased the concentrations of β-carotene, PVA and total carotenoids across cycles in HGA, while in HGB only α-carotene increased with advances in selection cycle. β-cryptoxanthine increased at C1 but decreased at C2 in HGB. The levels of β-c...

Child undernutrition remains a major public health concern in Kenya, especially in rural areas where food production does not always lead to improved nutritional outcomes. Despite national and county-level progress, localised disparities persist, highlighting the need for sub-county-level evidence. This study assessed the nutritional status of children aged 12-60 months and examined the influence of socio-demographic and socioeconomic factors on stunting, wasting, and underweight in Navakholo Sub-County, Kakamega County. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 agricultural households using structured questionnaires and anthropometric assessments, with nutritional status classified using WHO child growth standards. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to assess associations. Stunting prevalence was 23.4%, underweight 4.9%, wasting 1%, and overweight 5.5%. Stunting was significantly associated with Protestant religion (AOR=5.697; CI=1.881-17.260), geographic location-children in Shinoyi-Shikomari-Esumeiya Ward had reduced odds (AOR=0.324; CI=0.130-0.806)-and household head education, with the highest risk among children whose household heads had no formal education (AOR=21.012; CI=1.180-374.085). Wasting was associated with household income between KES 7,000-9,000 (AOR=5.143; CI=1.345-19.667) and tertiary education of the household head (AOR=12.110; CI=1.001-146.568). Underweight was associated with caregiver age 42-49 years (AOR=0.080; CI=0.009-0.688), having two (AOR=4.345; CI=2.259-8.356) or three or more children under five (AOR=8.951; CI=2.504-31.996), and was least likely among children in Bunyala East (AOR=0.070; CI=0.016-0.305). Localised disparities in child nutrition in Navakholo Sub-County are driven by socio-demographic and economic factors, highlighting the need for targeted, context-specific interventions.

Clinical methods of assessing nutritional status involve checking signs of deficiency at specific places on the body or asking the respondent whether they have any symptoms that might suggest nutrient deficiency. Clinical signs of nutrient deficiency include: pallor (on the palm of the hand or the conjunctiva of the eye), Bitot's spots on the eyes, Oedema, Goitre and severe visible wasting. Underweight adolescents (40%) were from the age group of 13-15 year old. The extent of Vitamin C, Iron, Zinc and β-Carotene deficiencies were more prevalent among adolescents. The findings of the dietary pattern reveal that adolescents in the age group of 16 -17 years could be at greater risk of nutritional stress because of inadequate dietary intake. Nutrient deficiencies of Protein, Iron Zinc, Vitamin C and A are visible through clinical assessments as PEM, Anaemina, Angular stomatitis, Cheilosis, Koilonychias, Bleeding gums, Pale conjunctiva, etc.

Apres avoir rappele les criteres sur lesquels sont bases les diagnostics de I'anemie mediterraneenne et de la forme, latente de celle-ci, les auteurs rapportent une serie de cas chez des neo-Canadiens d'origine chinoise, qu'ils ont,et6 a meme d'observer. Le fait saillant de ces observations est le degre d'ane- mie de ces malades, exigeant des transfusions repetees. Les globules rouges montrerent une resistance accrue a l'hemolyse par les solutions sales hypotoniques. Le taux d'hemoglobine fetal ne sembla pas etre en rapport avec la gravit6 de l'etat morbide. Les symptomes apparurent tous avant l'age d'un an chez les trois enfants ayant le syndrome complet. Le developpement de ces enfants sembla normal. Chez les malades n'ayant que la forme latente, la presence de globules rouges montrant une resistance augmentee "a rh,molyse en solution s4ale hypotonique semble etre le caractere le plus constant. La majorit6 de ces patients n'accusait aucun sympt6me. Les auteurs choisirent l'6pithete "mediterraneenne parmi le grand nombre d'autres vocables par lesquels cette maladie est connue, non seulement parce que cette appellation est couramment employee mais aussi pour illustrer la faute commise lorsqu'on l'applique a des gens d'origine non mediterranteenne. Si l'on se rappelle que l'anemie mediterraneenne est l'anemie hemolytique la plus repandue au Thailand et que, d'autre part, la race thaie tirerait ses origines du sud de la Chine, la pr6sence de cette maladie chez des Chinois originaires de Canton revet une signification particuliere. M.R.D.

Stunting still becomes a health problem that must be taken into serious
consideration in Indonesia because it affects the quality of Human
Resources in the future. Several attempts were made to meet the needs of
micronutrients to overcome stunting. One of the Government's steps to
decrease the stunting rate is adding more nutrients to foods often consumed
by the public (fortification), one of which is palm cooking oil. Fortification
of Vitamin A in palm cooking oil is a government program to decrease the
rate of children lacking Vitamin A. This study aims to determine the
feasibility status of vitamin A fortification in palm cooking oil that spreads
within stunting areas in Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, and South Kalimantan. This research used a descriptive research method
with a qualitative approach by using data collection from sipt.pom.go.id in
the year 2016-2020. Samples were taken in districts where the stunting
prevalence was located. Determining vitamin A levels using the
Chromatography method based on SNI 7709:2019 with the standard
vitamin A in cooking oil that spread in distribution channels was 20 IU/g.
The status of Vitamin A fortification in palm cooking oil that spread in
Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, and South Kalimantan
was still below the standard, and if it was being averaged, for over the last
five years, it has only reached 36.12%. Hence, it is suggested that the
Government establish a specific regulation that regulates the use of safer
palm cooking oil to maintain its quality, as well as the importance of
education about the food stock storage for the public in the distribution area to maintain people's food stability.

Dietary micronutrient deficiencies, which lead to diseases such as iodine deficiency disorders, iron-deficiency anemia, and vitamin A deficiency, are serious public health problems in the developing world. Fortifying salt with iodine, iron, and vitamin A is an attractive approach to simultaneously reduce the deficiencies of these three micronutrients in the diet. To explore the technical feasibility of producing triple-fortified salt fortified with iodine, iron, and vitamin A that would be stable under the climatic conditions of developing countries (i.e., high temperature and high humidity). Triple-fortified salt was obtained by granulation and encapsulation of commercially produced vitamin A products, iodine, and iron compounds. Vitamin A retention was determined in the presence of five iron and two iodine compounds, in different combinations, under three different storage conditions. The influence of commercial stabilization techniques for the vitamin A palmitate source used (spr...

1. Serum levels of retinol-binding protein (RBP), total vitamin A and retinyl ester were measured in twenty-four malnourished children with corneal lesions and nine normal children.2. Initially, the RBP and vitamin A levels were significantly lower in malnourished children than in normal children.3. After intramuscular injection of 30000 μg of aqueous vitamin A, serum levels of total vitamin A were increased significantly at 24 h and tended to fall within 5 d of treatment in both groups.4. Before treatment, retinyl ester accounted for less than 10% of the vitamin in circulation. After vitamin A injection, it increased to 30%, a level much lower than that reported in patients with hypervitaminosis A.5. There was no significant difference between the two groups of children and none of them showed clinical signs of toxicity. These observations indicate that administration of massive doses of vitamin A over a short period will not produce toxic effects even in malnourished children.

Background Respiratory and gastrointestinal manifestations are the main causes of mortality and morbidity in cystic fibrosis. Although these symptoms are well recognized, ophthalmic involvement of cystic fibrosis secondary to vitamin A deficiency is uncommon and has been reported very rarely in the medical literature. Case presentation Here, we report a 2.5-year-old Iranian boy who presented with bilateral corneal xerosis and corneal opacity secondary to vitamin A deficiency related to cystic fibrosis malabsorption. Conclusion Malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins is a common presentation in cystic fibrosis, but corneal opacity secondary to vitamin A deficiency as the initial presentation of cystic fibrosis is a very rare manifestation of fat malabsorption. This highlights the importance of complete systemic examination besides ophthalmic examination in approaching a child with ophthalmic complaint.

In Sierra Leone, an intensive mass vitamin A supplementation (VAS) campaign to reduce under-5 mortality reached over 90% of children ages 6-59 months, eliminating coverage disparities among districts and between age groups. Delivering VAS with other essential maternal and child health interventions was key to the success.

Conducting large-scale multi-environment trials (METs) is practically challenging to breeding programs in Sub-Saharan Africa due to limitations of land, seed, and associated costs of phenotyping. As a result, early-generation hybrid maize trials are usually planted with single-row plots. In trials with single-row plots, genotypes compete with their neighbors for resources, and this biases the prediction of the genotype value. We demonstrate the impact of inter-plot competition in single-row multienvironment hybrid maize trials in Ethiopia through a motivating example assessing subsets of 478 maize hybrids in six trials in the 2019 and 2020 main season. The trials were planted in partially replicated design with single-row plots. Field spatial variability and inter-plot competition were jointly modelled in a linear mixed model framework to partition the total genetic effect into direct and neighbour effects. Both direct and neighbour genetic effects differed across the trials confirming the presence of genotype by environment interaction (GEI) for these genetic components. There was a rank change in genotype performance between the selections from the competition model in comparison to the standard MET model. The proportion of mismatch in the top 20% of the selected genotypes from the competition model and the standard MET model ranged from 20 -70 % across the optimum nitrogen sites and up to 90 % in the low nitrogen site. The results demonstrated that inter-plot competition biases grain yield predictions in single-row plot hybrid maize METs and thus reduces the rate of genetic gain. The effect is particularly marked in low nitrogen environments, if not accounted for using appropriate statistical models.

Objective: To assess the nutritional and hematological status of sickle cell children followed in the department of pediatrics of the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital Centre (CHU-YO). Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from September 1, 2017, to February 28, 2018. All children with major sickle cell syndrome followed in the department of pediatrics at the CHU-YO and following their follow-up appointments were included in the study. We included 230 children aged 11 months to 16 years with an average age of 8.5 years. The sex M/F ratio was 1.09. The SC heterozygotes were the most represented with 56.52%. The average hemoglobin level was 9.39 g/dl. The prevalences of wasting, stunting and underweight were respectively 23.04%, 15.65%, and 13.89%. In univariate analysis, the factors associated with emaciation was hyperleukocytosis (p=0.002).The factors associated with stunting were leukocytosis (p=0.01), severe anemia (p=0.01), SS phenotype (p=0.002), age range of 5-10 years (p=0.007), Secondary (P=0.007) and higher level (p=0.001) of father's education, secondary (p=0.027) and higher level (p=0.034)of mothers'education , farmer(p=0.003) trader (p=0.042), and informal occupation of father (p = 0.002),and breastfeeding duration after 24 months (p=0.006). For underweight associated factors in univariate analysis were SS phenotype (p=0.003) and severe anemia (p=0.01). The prevalence of different types of malnutrition deficiency of sickle cell children followed at CHU-YO was high. It is important to strengthen the nutritional monitoring of children with sickle cell disease for better management of the disease.

Treatment of deep corneal ulcers using small intestinal submucosa (SIS) without corneal sutures in combination with a third eyelid flap seems a promising technical modification. Advantages are a reduction in surgery time and no additional damage of healthy corneal tissue.

Xerophthalmia encompasses a spectrum of ocular disorders resulting from Vitamin A deficiency (VAD), a condition with profound clinical, epidemiological, and public health significance. It manifests with progressive ocular pathology—ranging from night blindness to irreversible corneal destruction and blindness—and is closely associated with systemic morbidity and increased mortality, particularly in pediatric populations. The etiology is multifactorial, involving nutritional insufficiency as the primary cause in resource-poor settings, while malabsorption syndromes, hepatic dysfunction, and alcoholism contribute to sporadic cases in developed regions. Despite being a preventable condition, xerophthalmia continues to affect millions globally, with an estimated 350,000 new cases of childhood blindness each year. Pathophysiologically, Vitamin A is essential for the maintenance of visual phototransduction, epithelial cell differentiation, and immune competence. Deficiency disrupts retinal function and epithelial integrity, precipitating the hallmark clinical signs recognized by the World Health Organization, including conjunctival xerosis, Bitot's spots, corneal ulceration, and scarring.
The management of xerophthalmia is centered on high-dose Vitamin A supplementation and nutritional rehabilitation, but requires a broader interdisciplinary framework involving clinical care, public health interventions, and community education. Prevention strategies, including universal supplementation, dietary diversification, and targeted interventions in high-risk groups, are pivotal in addressing this global health burden. Given its devastating consequences and the simplicity of its prevention, xerophthalmia serves as a paradigm for the intersection of clinical medicine, nutrition, and health policy. This review synthesizes current understanding of xerophthalmia from a pathophysiological, clinical, and public health perspective and emphasizes the importance of a coordinated interprofessional approach to mitigate its impact.

Vitamins are essential nutrients for many body functions and particularly important during growth. Adequate supply in pregnancy and in early infancy is therefore crucial, but there is still a lack of knowledge about the needed amounts of vitamins of children older than six months and also during pregnancy. Recommendations for intake levels are generally derived by extrapolation from data for infants based in turn on the contents in breast milk and those for adults. A vitamin of particular importance in pregnancy is folic acid due to its role in the development of the brain and nerve system and the prevention of fetal neural tube defects (NTD). Mandatory fortifi cation of fl our and certain other grain products in many countries has been associated with a reduction in NTD incidence. However, other defi ciencies or suboptimal status of B vitamins, especially B 6 and B 12 have been repeatedly reported in pregnant women also in high-income countries. Vitamin A is one of the three most critical micronutrients globally and pregnant women and young children are especially vulnerable to defi ciencies. Night blindness, anemia, and immunodefi ciency are major consequences of inadequate supply in these populations. Much attention has recently been accorded vitamin D that is also critical in pregnant women and young children for instance because of its involvement in bone mineralization but also its more recently discovered immune-modulating function that is thought to prevent development of autoimmune diseases like diabetes mellitus type I. A healthy balanced diet provides the best basis for optimal pregnancy outcome, lactation performance, and complementary feeding. However, supplements or fortifi ed foods may be needed to cover the high requirements especially of critical vitamins such as vitamin D and folic acid and to correct unfavorable dietary patterns in women or to adapt foods to the needs of young children.

Significance Studies on the importance of vitamin A for human health continue to draw significant worldwide attention. However, the instability of provitamin A in crops resulted in a significant reduction of the potential nutrition values of these food crops. Our work demonstrates that provitamin A can be stabilized in sorghum by the coexpression of vitamin E through ectopic expression of homogentisate geranylgeranyltransferase ( HGGT ) and that vitamin E can enhance the stability of provitamin A in planta . This research has the potential to impact directly the lives of the millions of people who suffer from vitamin A deficiency, and we believe that these results will be applicable to enhancing provitamin A stability in many food crops.

INTRODUCCIÓN: las mujeres en período de lactancia y los lactantes son grupos vulnerables a la deficiencia de vitamina A (DVA). El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la relación entre el estado nutricional de vitamina A en la madre y el lactante alimentado con lactancia materna exclusiva. MÉTODOS: se realizó un estudio observacional analítico de corte transversal en lactantes de 6 meses y sus madres. Se determinó vitamina A en suero y leche por cromatografía líquida. Se calcularon concentraciones medias de vitamina A y prevalencias de DVA en suero y leche, y se compararon mediante tests estadísticos. RESULTADOS: se estudiaron 63 binomios madre-hijo. Las medias de retinol en suero materno y del lactante fueron 1,84±0,48 µmol/L y 1,09±0,25 µmol/L, respectivamente. No hubo madres con DVA, y el 5% de los lactantes estaban deficientes. La mediana de retinol en leche materna fue 15,57 µg/g grasa (11,37; 23,98), y el 12% de las leches eran deficientes. Se encontró diferencia estadísticamen...

Serum ferritin concentration is the preferred biomarker to assess population iron status in the absence of inflammation. Interpretation of this biomarker is complicated in populations with a high burden of infection, however, because inflammation increases serum ferritin concentration independently of iron status. We aimed to compare estimates of iron status of Kenyan pregnant women, with circulating ferritin concentrations adjusted for inflammation using newly proposed methods by the BRINDA project, or using previously proposed adjustment methods. We re-analyzed data from pregnant Kenyan women living in a rural area where malaria is highly endemic (n = 470) or in an urban area (n = 402). As proposed by the BRINDA group, we adjusted individual ferritin concentration by internal regression for circulating concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) and α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP). Other adjustment methods comprised: (a) arithmetic correction factors based on CRP or AGP; (b) exclusion o...

Bananas are important staples in tropical and sub-tropical regions and their potential as a source of provitamin A has recently attracted attention for biofortification. A collection of 189 banana genotypes (AAB-plantains, M. acuminata cultivars and bred hybrids) was screened to determine variability in fruit pulp provitamin A carotenoid (pVAC) content using high performance liquid chromatography. Total carotenoid content in tested genotypes varied from 1.45 µg/g for hybrid 25447-S7 R2P8 to 36.21 µg/g for M. acuminata cultivar ITC.0601 Hung Tu with a mean of 8.00 µg/g fresh weight. Predominant carotenoids identified were α-carotene (38.67%), trans-β-carotene (22.08%), lutein (22.08%), 13-cis-β-carotene (14.45%) and 9-cis-β-carotene (2.92%), indicating that about 78% of the carotenoids in bananas are pVAC. High pVAC genotypes were identified for integration into biofortification strategies to combat vitamin A deficiency in developing countries.

Introduction: Hundreds of millions of children live in urban slums, many deprived to basic services. This all are resulted in the different kind of behavioural problems in children living in urban slum. Many of these problems are of transient nature and are often not even noticed or sometimes neglected. Various factors play role in causation of behaviour problems. The present cross-sectional study was planned in the adopted slum field area of Government Medical College, Miraj to find out prevalence and factors associated with behaviour problems amongst slum dwellers of 6 -18 years age group. Total 600 parents of children in the age group of 6-18 years were selected by simple random sampling method using random number table from the register of "Family survey register" of field workers of UHC. The behavioural problems were identified in 189(55.1%) male children out of total 343 male children. The gender wise difference was statistically significant (p-Value < 0.005). There was statistically significant difference between behavioural problems according to family size (p-Value < 0.05). Children coming from large family were having more behavioural problems. The higher prevalence rate of behaviour problems was found amongst children having either or both of parents illiterate. It was highest among children having only illiterate mother. This was statistically significant (p-Value<0.001). The behavioural problems were observed least among children whose parents having caring attitude towards them, whereas the behavioural problems were higher amongst children who exposed to faulty parental attitudes (i.e.negligent, overprotective and strict). The common needs in this group include affection and warmth by family members not only by being "taken care of" but also fulfilment of physical and emotional needs. Behaviour problems found amongst children depends upon various family factors. The attitude of parents towards children plays major role in causation and their prevention of behaviour problems. Parenting counselling will play a major role in reduction of prevalence rate of behaviour problems.

Background Undernutrition has been shown to be associated with various infectious diseases. However, the recent improvement in nutritional status and management for infectious diseases worldwide necessitates the re-evaluation of this association. Methods A retrospective study was conducted in children aged &lt;14 years old with dengue, malaria or acute diarrhea who visited or were admitted to Tha Song Yang hospital, near the Thai–Myanmar border. Results Most of the patients had mild disease and most of the undernourishment was mild. The prevalence of underweight in dengue, malaria and acute diarrhea was 24.0%, 34.7% and 38.7%, respectively, and the prevalence of low height for age was 12.0%, 36.0% and 36.0%, respectively. Malaria and acute diarrhea were associated with underweight but not low height for age. Dengue was neither associated with underweight nor low height for age. Conclusion Although there has been an improvement in nutritional status and health care facilities, underw...

Background: Phytoene synthase 1 (PSY1) is the most important regulatory enzyme in carotenoid biosynthesis, whereas its function is hardly known in common wheat. The aims of the present study were to investigate Psy1 function and genetic regulation using reverse genetics approaches. Results: Transcript levels of Psy1 in RNAi transgenic lines were decreased by 54-76 % and yellow pigment content (YPC) was reduced by 26-35 % compared with controls, confirming the impact of Psy1 on carotenoid accumulation. A series of candidate genes involved in secondary metabolic pathways and core metabolic processes responded to Psy1 down-regulation. The aspartate rich domain (DXXXD) was important for PSY1 function, and conserved nucleotides adjacent to the domain influenced YPC by regulating gene expression, enzyme activity or alternative splicing. Compensatory responses analysis indicated that three Psy1 homoeologs may be coordinately regulated under normal conditions, but separately regulated under stress. The period 14 days post anthesis (DPA) was found to be a key regulation node during grain development. The findings define key aspects of flour color regulation in wheat and facilitate the genetic improvement of wheat quality targeting color/nutritional specifications required for specific end products.

Phytoene synthase 1 (PSY1) is the most important regulatory enzyme in carotenoid biosynthesis, whereas its function is hardly known in common wheat. The aims of the present study were to investigate Psy1 function and genetic regulation using reverse genetics approaches. Transcript levels of Psy1 in RNAi transgenic lines were decreased by 54-76 % and yellow pigment content (YPC) was reduced by 26-35 % compared with controls, confirming the impact of Psy1 on carotenoid accumulation. A series of candidate genes involved in secondary metabolic pathways and core metabolic processes responded to Psy1 down-regulation. The aspartate rich domain (DXXXD) was important for PSY1 function, and conserved nucleotides adjacent to the domain influenced YPC by regulating gene expression, enzyme activity or alternative splicing. Compensatory responses analysis indicated that three Psy1 homoeologs may be coordinately regulated under normal conditions, but separately regulated under stress. The period 1...

We report a case of a patient with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and perforated keratomalacia secondary to vitamin A deficiency. A 6-year-old boy complained of difficulty in opening the eyelids. The ocular conjunctiva was hyperemic and keratinized with purulent ocular (eye) discharge. Both corneas showed epithelial defects with hypopyon. The serum vitamin A level was ≤5 IU/dL (normal 97–316), leading to a diagnosis of xerophthalmia and keratomalacia due to vitamin A deficiency. Intramuscular injection of vitamin A (50,000 IU/day), as well as oral administration of multivitamin (containing 2,500 IU of vitamin A) and zinc supplement at 50 mg/day, allowed him to open both eyes and show interest in tablet devices 14 days after the diagnosis. During the course of the treatment, corneal perforation was observed, but it was closed without contact lens wear or amniotic patch and managed with vitamin A replacement therapy and antimicrobial eye drops. The epithelium extended to the area of t...

Routine vitamin A supplementation in under five children has been recommended to improve child survival(l). The World Health Organization/United Nations Children Fund/International Vitamin A Consultative Group (WHO/ UNICEF/ IVACG) Task Force recommends universal distribution of vitamin A in countries where xerophthalmia is a significant public health problem which includes India as well (2). It is recommended to orally supplement 100,000 IU of vitamin A to infants and 200,000 IU to children between 1 year to 6 year of age every 3-6 months.

Vitamin A deficiency is recognized as a public health problem in a large number of countries. It mainly affects young children and pregnant women in low-income countries in Africa and South-East Asia regions (World Health Organization data). Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and an essential nutrient provided to the human body in form of carotenoids (provitamin A) and retinol or retinyl esters (preformed vitamin A). The inadequate intake of this micronutrient through the diet may compromise a large spectrum of biological functions, namely vision, growth and development, immunological activity, reproduction and cellular growth and differentiation. The preparation of functional food and enteral formulas arises as a solution to provide to the individuals the partial or complete vitamin A nutritional requirements. Due to the properties of vitamin A and other retinoids these compounds have been used for several pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations. However, the poor solubility in This article was published in Trends in Food Science and Technology,

BACKGROUND: Vitamin A which is found in different tissuesand organs plays a particular role in detecting clinical signs invarious deficiency conditions. However, sometimes the marginaldeficiency is present in a way that clinical signs are not visible butperformance defects, such as infertility is seen. OBJECTIVES: Inthis study, the normal baseline levels of vitamin Aand β-carotene inclinically healthy camels (Camelus dromedarius) in the Yazdprovince were investigated. METHODS: A total of 168 Iraniancamels of both sexes were sampled from February 2009 to July2010. Spectrophoto-metry was used for measuring the serumvalues. RESULTS: The mean±SE concentration of vitamin Aand β-carotene were 63.9±4.7 and 9±1.1 μg/dL, respectively. Although,the β-carotene concentr-ation was significantly higher in summer,vitamin Awas not influenced by season. No significant differencein the serum levels of the measured parameters was observed indifferent ages and sexes. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this st...

Background Vitamin A supplementation in children aged 6 months to 5 years has been shown to reduce mortality. The effi cacy of neonatal supplementation with vitamin A to reduce mortality in the fi rst 6 months of life is plausible but not established. We aimed to assess the effi cacy of neonatal oral supplementation with vitamin A to reduce mortality between supplementation and 6 months of age. We undertook an individually randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Haryana, India. We identifi ed pregnant women through a surveillance programme undertaken every 3 months of all female residents in two districts of Haryana, India, aged 15-49 years, and screened every identifi ed livebirth. Eligible participants were neonates whose parents consented to participate, were likely to stay in the study area until at least 6 months of age, and were able to feed orally at the time of enrolment. Participants were randomly assigned to receive oral capsules containing vitamin A (retinol palmitate 50 000 IU plus vitamin E 9•5-12•6 IU) or placebo (vitamin E 9•5-12•6 IU) within 72 h of birth. Randomisation was in blocks of 20 according to a randomisation list prepared by a statistician not otherwise involved with the trial. Investigators, participants' families, and the data analysis team were masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was mortality between supplementation and 6 months of age. Analysis included all participants assigned to study groups. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01138449, and the Indian Council of Medical Research Clinical Trial Registry, number CTRI/2010/091/000220. Findings Between June 24, 2010, and July 1, 2012 we screened 47 777 neonates and randomly assigned 44 984 to receive vitamin A (22 493) or placebo (22 491). Between supplementation and 6 months of age, 656 infants died in the vitamin A group compared with 726 in the placebo group (29•2 per 1000 vs 32•3 per 1000; diff erence -3•1 per 1000, 95% CI -6•3 to 0•1; risk ratio 0•90, 95% CI 0•81 to 1•00). We noted no signifi cant interactions between the intervention eff ect and sex on mortality at 6 months (p=0•409). Supplementation with 50 000 IU vitamin A within the fi rst 72 h of life was generally safe and well tolerated, with the exception of a small excess risk of transient bulging fontanelle (205 cases in the vitamin A group confi rmed by physician vs 80 cases in the placebo group, risk ratio 2•56 [95% CI 1•98-3•32]). The fi ndings of this study, done in a population in which vitamin A defi ciency is a moderate public health problem, are consistent with a modest reduction in mortality between supplementation and 6 months of age. These fi ndings must be viewed together with similar trials in other populations to enable determination of appropriate public health policy. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to WHO.

The Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka commenced a vitamin A supplementation programme of school children with a megadose of 105 μmol (100 000 IU) vitamin A in school years 1, 4 and 7 (approximately 5-, 9- and 12-year-olds, respectively) in 2001. We evaluated the vitamin A supplementation programme of school children in a rural area of Sri Lanka. A cross-sectional study was conducted among children supplemented with an oral megadose of vitamin A (105 μmol; n 452) and children not supplemented (controls; n 294) in Grades 1–5. Children were clinically examined and a sample of blood was taken for serum vitamin A concentration estimation by HPLC. Socio-demographic information was obtained from children or mothers. Supplemented children had a higher proportion of males and stunted children, were younger and lived under poorer conditions as compared to controls. There was no difference in the prevalences of eye signs and symptoms of vitamin A deficiency in the two groups. Supplemented childr...

The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has been working with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for more than two decades on the development of beta-carotene (pre-curser for vitamin A), or golden rice (GR), as an added choice for addressing Vitamin A deficiency. Biosafety approval is yet to be given, but the pre-planning for deployment has been developed.

Proper nutrition during pregnancy plays a vital role in maternal well-being, pregnancy outcomes, fetal development, and the long-term health of offspring. Research indicates that carotenoids are essential for improving pregnancy outcomes and preventing pregnancy-related conditions associated with elevated oxidative stress. This study aimed to assess the effects of prenatal carotenoid supplementation on maternal and infant health outcomes by reviewing findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A total of 11 peer-reviewed RCTs from nine studies were analyzed using databases such as EBSCOhost and PubMed. The outcomes evaluated included maternal and infant carotenoid and retinol concentrations, maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, incidence of preeclampsia, birth weight, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), and cytokine production. Supplementation with beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin during pregnancy led to significant increases in maternal and infant plasma retinol and/or carotenoid concentrations. Beta-carotene supplementation had no significant impact on infant mortality or morbidity, while the effects on maternal mortality and morbidity were inconsistent across studies. Lycopene showed potential in reducing intrauterine growth retardation, though its effects on preeclampsia varied. While prenatal carotenoid supplementation demonstrated promising effects on certain maternal and infant health outcomes, the findings were inconsistent. Further research, including a meta-analysis, is recommended to better understand the role of carotenoids in maternal and infant health.

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that cannot be synthesized in the body and must be obtained through diet. Despite being one of the earliest vitamins identified, a complete range of biological actions is still unknown. Carotenoids are a category of roughly 600 chemicals that are structurally related to vitamin A. Vitamin A can be present in the body in the form of retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid. Vitamins are required in minute amounts, yet they are critical for health, maintenance, and performing key biological functions in the body, such as growth, embryo development, epithelial cell differentiation, and immune function. Vitamin A deficiency induces a variety of problems, including lack of appetite, decreased development and immunity, and susceptibility to many diseases. Dietary preformed vitamin A, provitamin A, and several classes of carotenoids can be used to meet vitamin A requirements. The aim of this review is to compile the available scientific literature regarding the sources and important functions, such as growth, immunity, antioxidant, and other biological activities of vitamin A in poultry.

Vitamin A deficiency is particularly common among children younger than 5 years. In 2011, a study conducted in West Java revealed that the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in children aged 6-11 months, 12-23 months, and 24-59 months was 18.2%, 15.2%, and 9.9%, respectively. The present study analysed the differences in vitamin A intake and serum retinol in all the preschool children from Grobogan and Kudus, Central Java. The baseline data of vitamin A efficacy were analysed. A total of 143 children aged 1-3 years participants (n=71 from Kudus and n=71 from Grobogan) were recruited and we used independent t-tests to analyse the data. Among the study population, 50.7% and 48.6% were boys and 49.3% and 51.4% were girls from Kudus and Grobogan, respectively. The average intake of energy, carbohydrates, protein, fat, and vitamin A was 698±440 (Kcal), 89±60 (g), 25.9±18.5 (g), 26.1±18.5 (g), and 435.3±554.0 (μg) in Kudus and 868±493 (Kcal), 109±67 (g), 30.9±20.1 (g), 35.1±23.1 (g), and ...

As many as 190 million children younger than 5 years have vitamin A deficiency. WHO estimates that there are 250 million preschool children who suffer from blindness and some of these children then die within 12 months due to vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A is one of the important nutrients that dissolve in fat and stored in the liver, can not be made by the body, so it must be met from the outside (essensial), serves for vision, growth and increase endurance against disease. The purpose of this study to determine the relationship of knowledge of mother about vitamin A with vitamin A in infants in the area of the village of Kuantan Sako in 2016. The research design used is cross sectional. The sampling technique used is simple random sampling with the number of samples of 81 people. Result of research got that mother knowledge about vitamin A mostly low that is as much 56 responden (69,1%). There is a correlation between mother&#39;s knowledge about vitamin A with vitamin A suppleme...

Context and orientation:
1. Contextualization: This document originated from recent spontaneous video reviews of antinutrition disinformation articles published in major medical journals; eventually this document will be formalized, cited completely, and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. As such, interested readers are invited to follow the author’s work on various platforms for upcoming versions of this article which will eventually culminate in a formal publication; related publications (specific to medical-nutritional misinformation) by this author include the following:
1) Vasquez A, Pizzorno J. Concerns About the Integrity of The Scientific Research Process—Focus on Recent Negative Publications Regarding Nutrition, Multivitamins, Fish Oil and Cardiovascular Disease. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2019 Feb;18(1):8-15. PMC6601430
2) Vasquez A. Correspondence regarding Cutshall, Bergstrom, Kalish's "Evaluation of a functional medicine approach to treating fatigue, stress, and digestive issues in women" in Complement Ther Clin Pract 2016 May. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2018 May;31:332-333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.10.001 Epub 2016 Oct 19. PMID: 27814977
3) Vasquez A, Cannell J. Calcium and vitamin D in preventing fractures: data are not sufficient to show inefficacy. BMJ. 2005 Jul 9;331(7508):108-9 https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.331.7508.108-b PMC558659
4) Vasquez A, Muanza DN. Comment: evaluation of presence of aspirin-related warnings with willow bark. Ann Pharmacother. 2005 Oct;39(10):1763; author reply 1763-4 https://doi.org/10.1345/aph.1e650a Epub 2005 Aug 30. PMID: 16131534.
5) Muanza DN, Vasquez A, Cannell J, Grant WP. Isoflavones and postmenopausal women. JAMA. 2004 Nov 17;292(19):2337; author reply 2337. doi: 10.1001/jama.292.19.2337-a. PMID: 15547158
6) Vasquez A. Vitamins Against Viruses: Implausible Pro-Vaccine Publications Contrasted Against Ignored Public Health Campaigns and Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials [Editorial]. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine 2019 Jun https://isom.ca/article/vitamins-against-viruses/ also archived at https://www.academia.edu/39406350
7) Vasquez A. Scotland's public health campaigns to improve vitamin D nutriture occurred within the same timeframe as HPV vaccination [rapid response] 2019 Apr 13 BMJ.com/content/365/bmj.l1161/rr-8
8) Vasquez A. Scotland's public health programs and trends improving nutritional status should be considered when discussing HPV trends [rapid response] 2019 Apr 11 BMJ.com/content/365/bmj.l1375/rr-4
2. Orientation and Author’s Perspective: Major medical organizations (eg AMA) and their journals (eg JAMA) are in business to maximize profit via 1) hegemony/dominance and 2) sales of drugs/injections/surgeries. They have no interest in making the population healthy and thus independent from utilization of medical sales and services. As such, any review that they provide on “alternatives” and nonmedical options will be slanted toward slander and denigration. To formalize this perspective and (hypo)thesis, the author has conducted several formal and semiformal reviews (see samples listed previously, above) and is organizing this current document for publication.