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Simulation and optimization of a supercritical extraction process for recovering provitamin A.
de Moraes EB, Alvarez ME, Maciel MR, Maciel Filho R.
Separation Process Development Laboratory (LDPS), Chemical Engineering School, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6066, 13081-970 Campinas-SP, Brazil. elenise@feq.unicamp.br
In this work, a simulation procedure of a supercritical extraction process was developed through the use of the commercial simulator HYSYS (Hyprotech Ltd.), adapting the existing units to the operating conditions typical of the supercritical extraction process. The objective is to recover provitamin A (beta-carotene) from palm oil (esterified) using carbon dioxide/ethanol as the supercritical mixed solvent. This example characterizes the problem for recovering high added value product from natural sources, as the palm oil, which is desired by the market. Owing to the fact that esterified palm oil is a complex mixture, made by several components, in order to characterize this system in the simulator, it was necessary to create hypothetical components using the UNIFAC (universal function-group activity coefficients model) group contribution, because they are not present in a conventional database and, then, their physical properties must be estimated and/or predicted before the simulation. The optimization was carried out in each simulation for each equipment, in terms of operating conditions (temperature and pressure), in order to obtain the maximum recovery of carotenes. According to the results, it was possible to concentrate carotenes through two cycles of supercritical extraction with high yield. Furthermore, ethyl esters (biodiesel) were also obtained, as a byproduct of the proposed process, which can also be used as an alternative fuel, with the important characteristic that it is renewable.
PMID: 16915711 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
 
The positive impact of red palm oil in school meals on vitamin A status: study in Burkina Faso.
Zeba AN, Prevel YM, Some IT, Delisle HF.
Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Universite de Montreal, C,P, 6128 succ, Centre-ville, Montreal Qc, H3C 3J7, Canada. nawidzeb@yahoo.fr
BACKGROUND: Vitamin A (VA) deficiency is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and school-age children are a vulnerable group. In Burkina Faso, the production and consumption of red palm oil (RPO) is being promoted as a food supplement for VA. The objective of the study was to assess the impact on serum retinol of adding RPO to school lunch in two test zones of Burkina Faso. METHODS: Over one school year, 15 ml RPO was added to individual meals 3 times a week in selected primary schools in two sites. Serum retinol was measured with HPLC at baseline and exactly 12 months later to take account of seasonality. A simple pre-post test design was used in the Kaya area (north-central Burkina), where 239 pupils from 15 intervention schools were randomly selected for the evaluation. In Bogande (eastern Burkina), 24 schools were randomised for the controlled intervention trial: 8 negative controls (G1) with only the regular school lunch; 8 positive controls (G2) where the pupils received a single VA capsule (60 mg) at the end of the school year; and 8 schools with RPO through the school year (G3). A random sample of 128 pupils in each school group took part in the evaluation. RESULTS: In Kaya, serum retinol went from 0.77 +/- 0.37 micromol/L at baseline to 1.07 +/- 0.40 micromol/L one year later (p < 0.001). The rate of low serum retinol (< 0.7 micromol/L) declined from 47.2% to 13.1%. In Bogande, serum retinol increased significantly (p < 0.001) only in the capsule and RPO groups, going from 0.77 +/- 0.28 to 0.98 +/- 0.33 micromol/L in the former, and from 0.82 +/- 0.3 to 0.98 +/- 0.33 micromol/L in the latter. The rate of low serum retinol went from 46.1 to 17.1% in the VA capsule group and from 40.4% to 14.9% in the RPO group. VA-deficient children benefited the most from the capsule or RPO. Female sex, age and height-for-age were positively associated with the response to VA capsules or RPO. CONCLUSION: RPO given regularly in small amounts appears highly effective in the reduction of VA deficiency. RPO deserves more attention as a food supplement for VA and as a potential source of rural income in Sahelian countries.
Publication Types:
PMID: 16846498 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Serum concentration of vitamins A and E and lipid in a rural population of north Cameroon.
Gouado I, Ejoh RA, Kenne M, Ndifor F, Mbiapo FT.
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, PO Box 24157, Douala, Cameroon. gouadoi@yahoo.fr
BACKGROUND: Vitamin A deficiency is still a major health problem mostly affecting people in developing countries. It contributes to increased mortality and morbidity through current infection. In Cameroon, it is a public health problem mostly in the northern part where palm oil, which is a principal source of provitamin A in the south of the country, is not consumed. AIM: We carried out this research to discover the relationship between vitamins (A and E) and blood lipids in a normal rural population living in vitamin A-deficiency area. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study with 81 healthy volunteers (40 men and 41 women) aged 3-61 (mean 18.32 +/- 1.63) years and living in two neighboring villages (Doyan and Larao) in the northern part of Cameroon, where previous studies revealed a prevalence of vitamin A deficiency of 33.3%. METHODS: Serum concentrations of vitamins A and E were measured by fluorometric methods. Serum cholesterol and lipids were assayed by enzymatic methods. RESULTS: The mean +/- standard error for vitamin A and E were 15.09 +/- 0.82; 526.99 +/- 29.57 mug/100 ml, respectively. The concentrations of the serum parameters analyzed were similar for both sexes, whereas the atherogenic ration of cholesterol (ARC) was significantly (p < 0.036) higher in women. Serum lipids (total lipids, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and phospholipids) correlated with vitamins A and E (p < 0.05). Vitamins A and E were highly correlated with each other (r = 0.42, p < 0.001). Age was positively associated with vitamin A (r = 0.42, p < 0.001) and vitamin E (r = 0.29, p < 0.01). Deficiency of vitamins A and E constitutes a public health problem with more than 56% of the subjects having low levels of these vitamins, while subjects tested had a low risk for cardiovascular diseases. Conclusion: In this population we noticed normal lipid levels and vitamin A deficiency probably resulting from diets poor in provitamin A. Copyright 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.
PMID: 15735365 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Triple fortification of salt with microcapsules of iodine, iron, and vitamin A.
Zimmermann MB, Wegmueller R, Zeder C, Chaouki N, Biebinger R, Hurrell RF, Windhab E.
Human Nutrition Laboratory and the Food Process Engineering Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland. michael.zimmermann@ilw.agrl.ethz.ch
BACKGROUND: In many developing countries, children are at high risk of goiter, vitamin A deficiency, and iron deficiency anemia. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop a stable, efficacious salt fortified with iodine, iron, and vitamin A. DESIGN: A novel spray-cooling technique was used with hydrogenated palm oil to package potassium iodate, micronized ferric pyrophosphate, and retinyl palmitate into microcapsules (mean particle size: 100 mum). We used the microcapsules to create triple-fortified salt (TFS) with 30 mug I, 2 mg Fe, and 60 mug vitamin A/g salt. After storage trials, we compared the efficacy of TFS with that of iodized salt in a 10-mo, randomized, double-blind trial in goitrous schoolchildren (n = 157) who had a high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. RESULTS: After storage for 6 mo, losses of iodine and vitamin A from the TFS were approximately 12-15%, and color was stable. In the TFS group, mean hemoglobin increased by 15 g/L at 10 mo (P < 0.01), iron status indexes and body iron stores improved significantly (P < 0.05), and mean serum retinol, retinol-binding protein, and the ratio of retinol-binding protein to prealbumin increased significantly (P < 0.01). At 10 mo, prevalences of vitamin A deficiency and iron deficiency anemia were significantly lower in the TFS group than in the iodized salt group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Newly developed microcapsules containing iodine, iron, and vitamin A are highly stable when added to local African salt. TFS was efficacious in reducing the prevalence of iron, iodine, and vitamin A deficiencies in school-age children.
Publication Types:
PMID: 15531677 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Vitamin A status of pregnant Nigerian women: relationship to dietary habits and morbidity.
Ajose OA, Adelekan DA, Ajewole EO.
Department of Chemical Pathology, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, PO Box 1089, OAU Post Office, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
Vitamin A status of pregnant Nigerian women has been determined by measurement of retinol concentration in plasma samples obtained from pregnant subjects, using a spectrophotometric method. The relationship between vitamin A status, dietary habits and morbidity pattern was also examined. Two hundred (200) consecutive pregnant women registered for antenatal clinic at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex within a period of eight (8) weeks were recruited as subjects. The subjects were aged 15-43 years (mean 27.2 years), and were at different stages of pregnancy. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered on the subjects to obtain data on dietary habits, present health status and obstetric history. Vitamin A deficiency (plasma retinol concentration < 0.35 micromol/L) is found in 17.5% of the subjects, while 37% and 45.5% have borderline (plasma retinol concentration 0.35-0.70 micromol/L) and normal (plasma retinol concentration > 0.70 micromol/L) vitamin A status respectively. There is a significant relationship between frequent micturition and vitamin A status (chi-square = 0.39: P < 0.05). There is no relationship between maternal age and vitamin A status. Although about 80% of the subjects consumed red palm oil daily, about 64% would heat the oil to smoking for at least 10 minutes, before adding to stew during cooking. Green vegetables were also boiled in hot water before adding to sauce, while liver is consumed on just about three days per month. The findings reported in this study have further strengthened the claim that vitamin A deficiency is fairly prevalent in pregnant Nigerian women, underlining the need for prompt and effective intervention.
PMID: 15174740 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Effects of red palm oil on serum lipids and plasma carotenoids level in Chinese male adults.
Zhang J, Wang CR, Xue AN, Ge KY.
Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China. zhjian@95777.com
OBJECTIVE: Effects of red palm oil on major plasma carotenoids, tocopherol, retinol and serum lipids were evaluated when used in Chinese diet. METHODS: Red palm oil group (RPO) composed of 20 male subjects(aged 18-32) and soybean oil group (SBO) composed of 22 male subjects (aged 18-32). Dietary fat provided about 28% of total calories, and the test oil accounted for about 60% of total dietary fat. In the 3 weeks of pretest period, diets were prepared with soybean oil, and then in the next 6 weeks subjects in each group consumed the diet prepared by test oil. RESULTS: Plasma alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene concentration of RPO group significantly increased at the time of interim (21 days) and of the end (42 days) (P < 0.05), and alpha-tocopherol concentration significantly increased at the time of the end (42 days) in this study. Though Chinese plasma retinol level was relatively low when compared with that of Westerners, red palm oil diet showed no significant effect on adult Chinese plasma retinol level. Serum concentration of total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein AI and apolipoprotein B of all subjects showed no significant changes in RPO group during the study. CONCLUSIONS: The data in our study suggest that red palm oil is a good source of carotenoids and vitamin E when used in Chinese diet preparation, and it can significantly increase plasma concentration of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene and alpha-tocopherol.
Publication Types:
PMID: 15011966 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Red palm oil as a source of vitamin A for mothers and children: impact of a pilot project in Burkina Faso.
Zagre NM, Delpeuch F, Traissac P, Delisle H.
Universite de Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the effectiveness of the commercial introduction of red palm oil (RPO) as a source of vitamin A (VA) for mothers and children in a non-consuming area, as a dietary diversification strategy. DESIGN: A pre-post intervention design (no control area) was used to assess changes in VA intake and status over a 24-month pilot project. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: The pilot project involved RPO promotion in 10 villages and an urban area in east-central Burkina Faso, targeting approximately 10 000 women and children aged <5 years. A random sample of 210 mother-child (12-36-months-old) pairs was selected in seven out of the 11 pilot sites for the evaluation. RESULTS: After 24 months, RPO was reportedly consumed by nearly 45% of mothers and children in the previous week. VA intake increased from 235+/-23 microg retinol activity equivalents (RAE) to 655+/-144 microg RAE in mothers (41 to 120% of safe intake level), and from 164+/-14 microg RAE to 514+/-77 microg RAE in children (36 to 97%). Rates of serum retinol <0.70 micromol l(-1) decreased from 61.8+/-8.0% to 28.2+/-11.0% in mothers, and from 84.5+/-6.4% to 66.9+/-11.2% in children. Those with a lower initial concentration of serum retinol showed a higher serum retinol response adjusted for VA intake. CONCLUSIONS: Commercial distribution of RPO was effective in reducing VA deficiency in the pilot sites. While it is promising as part of a national strategy, additional public health and food-based measures are needed to control VA malnutrition, which remained high in the RPO project area.
Publication Types:
PMID: 14641943 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
IRIS. III: proposal of a multicenter efficacy study using a high-energy, micronutrient-dense spread.
Lopez de Romana G, Gross R.
Instituto de Investigacion Nutricional, Lima, Peru.
There is an urgent need for the development of a high-energy, micronutrient-dense food, such as a spread, for clinical and emergency nutrition. The spread to be used in the International Research on Infant Supplementation (IRIS) III trial will contain carotene-rich palm oil as a source of vitamin A and energy, and heme iron from slaughterhouse blood as an iron source. All other micronutrients shall come from a pre-mix. The product shall be designed for young children, in particular, but can be consumed by adults, as well. An efficacy study will be conducted for six months in children 6 to 12 months old.
PMID: 14564943 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Alleviation of vitamin A deficiency with palm fruit and its products.
Solomons NW, Orozco M.
Center for Studies of Sensory Impairment, Aging and Metabolism, Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The decreased dietary diversity wrought from the adoption of the settled, agrarian system to replace the hunter-gather and pastoralist lifestyles assured a stable supply of protein and calories from grains and tubers while creating a vulnerability for humans to suffer micronutrient deficiencies. The vitamin A from animal tissue is more bioavailable to humans than the provitamin A in the matrix of green plants. Provitamin A carotenes achieve a dietary vitamin A efficacy nearly equivalent to that of the preformed vitamin only in the context of an oily matrix. The homeostatic regulation of carotene bioconversion by the intestine, moreover, prevents any excess toxic accumulation of vitamin A from provitamin A sources. The efficacy and safety of the palm fruit (genus Elaeis) as a source of vitamin A, in addition to its cultural recognition as a food, are more consistent with the gentler concept of "alleviation" of the public health problem of hypovitaminosis A, then the more aggressive, medical model of "eradication" with its greater potential for risk and collateral damage. The palm fruit and its derivatives achieve new opportunities for creative contribution and sustained use in formats of supplementation (prophylactic in children and women, for lactation), food-to-food fortification (in bakery goods and snacks, as condiments), and even in food diversification strategies. Experience in India, South Africa, and Guatemala begins to define and delineate the opportunities and limitations for the palm fruit to contribute to the alleviation of endemic vitamin A deficiency.
Publication Types:
PMID: 14506004 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
A place for palm fruit oil to eliminate vitamin A deficiency.
Benade AJ.
Nutritional Intervation Research Unit, Medical Research Council, Parow, South Africa. spinnler.benade@mrc.ac.za
There is general consensus that food-based approaches are viable and sustainable options for addressing vitamin A deficiency in populations. One such example is the fortification of food which, if properly monitored, could make a significant contribution towards improving the vitamin A status of populations throughout the world. Red palm fruit oil (RPO) with its high content of natural carotenoids, lends itself exceptionally well to this purpose at both household and commercial level. Results are now available from several feeding trials incorporating RPO into diets at household level or into commercially manufactured products. RPO in the maternal diet was shown to improve the vitamin A status of lactating mothers and their infants. Consumption of RPO incorporated in a sweet snack or biscuits significantly improved plasma retinol concentrations in children with subclinical vitamin A deficiency. There is evidence that if only 35-50% of the recommended daily intake for vitamin A were to be provided by RPO, it may be sufficient to prevent vitamin A deficiency (hypovitaminosis A). Red palm oil has a highly bioconvertible form of alpha- and beta-carotene, a long shelf life, and a higher cost/benefit ratio when compared to other approaches such as high-dose-vitamin A supplements and fortification of foods with retinyl ester fortificants. Consumption of RPO is safe and cannot produce hypervitaminosis A. Considering all the current information about RPO, the initiation of food-based interventions involving its use in developing countries with an endemic vitamin A deficiency problem, appears to be a logical choice.
Publication Types:
PMID: 14506003 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Red palm oil supplementation: a feasible diet-based approach to improve the vitamin A status of pregnant women and their infants.
Radhika MS, Bhaskaram P, Balakrishna N, Ramalakshmi BA.
National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Jamai Osmania, Hyderabad, India.
This double-blinded, randomized, controlled study was designed to study the effect of dietary supplementation with red palm oil during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal vitamin A status. A total of 170 women were recruited at 16 to 24 weeks of gestation and randomly assigned to an experimental group that received red palm oil to supply approximately one recommended dietary amount (RDA) (2,400 micrograms) of beta-carotene or to a control group that received an equivalent volume of groundnut oil. The women received the oils for a period of 8 weeks, starting at 26 to 28 weeks of gestation and extending to 34 to 36 weeks of gestation. The mean postintervention (34 to 36 weeks) levels of serum retinol were 1.20 +/- 0.22 (SD) mumol/L (95% CI, 1.15-1.25) in women receiving red palm oil and 0.73 +/- 0.15 mumol/L (95% CI, 0.69-0.77) in their infants; these levels were significantly higher than those in women receiving groundnut oil (1.07 +/- 0.26 mumol/L; 95% CI, 1.01-1.13; p < .01) and their infants (0.62 +/- 0.17 mumol/L; 95% CI, 0.57-0.67; p < .001). A significantly lower proportion of women in the red palm oil group than in the control group had vitamin A deficiency (serum retinol levels < 0.7 mumol/L) after intervention (1.5% vs. 9.7%). The proportion of women having anemia was significantly lower (p < .01) in the red palm oil-supplemented group (80.6%) than in the control group (96.7%). The mean birthweight and gestational age of the infants did not differ significantly between the two groups. An increased risk of low birth-weight (p = .003) and preterm delivery (p = .000) was observed with decreasing serum retinol levels in the third trimester of pregnancy. These results show that red palm oil supplementation significantly improved maternal and neonatal vitamin A status and reduced the prevalence of maternal anemia. Maternal vitamin A status in the later part of pregnancy is significantly associated with fetal growth and maturation. Hence red palm oil, a rich source of bioavailable vitamin A, could be used as a diet-based approach for improving vitamin A status in pregnancy.
Publication Types:
PMID: 12891825 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Palm oil: biochemical, physiological, nutritional, hematological, and toxicological aspects: a review.
Edem DO.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
The link between dietary fats and cardiovascular diseases has necessitated a growing research interest in palm oil, the second largest consumed vegetable oil in the world. Palm oil, obtained from a tropical plant, Elaeis guineensis contains 50% saturated fatty acids, yet it does not promote atherosclerosis and arterial thrombosis. The saturated fatty acid to unsaturated fatty acid ratio of palm oil is close to unity and it contains a high amount of the antioxidants, beta-carotene, and vitamin E. Although palm oil-based diets induce a higher blood cholesterol level than do corn, soybean, safflower seed, and sunflower oils, the consumption of palm oil causes the endogenous cholesterol level to drop. This phenomenon seems to arise from the presence of the tocotrienols and the peculiar isomeric position of its fatty acids. The benefits of palm oil to health include reduction in risk of arterial thrombosis and atherosclerosis, inhibition of endogenous cholesterol biosynthesis, platelet aggregation, and reduction in blood pressure. Palm oil has been used in the fresh state and/or at various levels of oxidation. Oxidation is a result of processing the oil for various culinary purposes. However, a considerable amount of the commonly used palm oil is in the oxidized state, which poses potential dangers to the biochemical and physiological functions of the body. Unlike fresh palm oil, oxidized palm oil induces an adverse lipid profile, reproductive toxicity and toxicity of the kidney, lung, liver, and heart. This may be as a result of the generation of toxicants brought on by oxidation. In contrast to oxidized palm oil, red or refined palm oil at moderate levels in the diet of experimental animals promotes efficient utilization of nutrients, favorable body weight gains, induction of hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes, adequate hemoglobinization of red cells and improvement of immune function. Howerer, high palm oil levels in the diet induce toxicity to the liver as shown by loss of cellular radial architecture and cell size reductions which are corroborated by alanine transaminase to asparate transaminase ratios which are higher than unity. The consumtion of moderate amounts of palm oil and reduction in the level of oxidation may reduce the health risk believed to be associated with the consumption of palm oil. Red palm oil, by virtue of its beta-carotene content, may protect against vitamin A deficiency and certain forms of cancer.
Publication Types:
PMID: 12602939 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
In vitro accessibility of carotenes from green leafy vegetables cooked with sunflower oil or red palm oil.
Hedren E, Mulokozi G, Svanberg U.
Department of Food Science, Chalmers University of Technology, c/o SIK, Box 5401, SE-402 29 Goteborg, Sweden.
Although vegetables and fruits are readily available and consumed in most areas of Tanzania, vitamin A deficiency is still prevalent. The objective of the present study was to measure the in vitro accessibility (available for absorption) of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene in vegetable relishes prepared with or without oil. Derived results were used to calculate the contribution of vegetable relish to recommended daily intake of retinol. Five sundried green leafy vegetables from Tanzania were cooked without oil, with sunflower oil or with red palm oil. The total amount and in vitro accessibility of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene from a portion (100 g) of vegetable relish was determined. The in vitro method used simulated the digestion process in the gastrointestinal tract. Carotenoids released after digestion were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. The total amount of beta-carotene varied between 1211 and 3659 microg/100 g among the five vegetable sources studied. From green leaves cooked without oil, 8-29% of the beta-carotene content became accessible after in vitro digestion and 39-94% from leaves cooked with sunflower oil or red palm oil. Adding red palm oil instead of sunflower oil resulted in about twice as much accessible beta-carotene, due to the high accessibility of its beta-carotene content. The red palm oil contributed also a considerable amount of alpha-carotene. The results showed that by eating vegetable relishes with added oil daily, it should be possible to provide the recommended intake level of vitamin A.
PMID: 12590739 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Bioavailability and vitamin A value of carotenes from red palm oil assessed by an extrinsic isotope reference method.
You CS, Parker RS, Swanson JE.
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA. rsp3@cornall.edu
Red palm oil (RPO) contains high concentrations of beta- and alpha-carotene, and is presumed to possess a higher vitamin A value than other foods. The objective was to determine the metabolic vitamin A and carotene values of refined red palm oil in healthy adult subjects, using a stable isotope reference method. Twelve healthy subjects were administered a small standardised meal containing 10 g RPO (2.4 mg beta-carotene and 1.8 mg alpha-carotene) in a blended juice-based drink also containing 2 mg tetradeuterated retinyl acetate (d4-RA) as a metabolic reference. At baseline and at several times after the test meal, the concentrations of carotenes and of d4- and d0-(unlabelled) retinyl esters, in the plasma chylomicron-rich (d < 1.006) fraction were determined by high high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, respectively. The masses of palm oil-derived vitamin A and carotenes absorbed ('yield') were calculated assuming 80% absorption of the d4-RA reference dose. The mean yield of retinol from the RPO was 0.41 mg, ranging from 0.17 mg to 0.86 mg. The mean yields of beta- and alpha-carotene were 0.29 mg and 0.25 mg, respectively, suggesting that beta-carotene was more extensively metabolised than alpha-carotene. Subjects assimilated an average of 23% of the dose of carotenes, as the sum of retinol and unmetabolised carotenes. The vitamin A values of red palm oil obtained under these conditions, a mean of 0.17 mg retinol absorbed per mg beta-carotene consumed (beta-carotene : retinol equivalency of 5.7:1) is higher than that of all other vegetable sources we have evaluated to date.
PMID: 12492631 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Effects of palm oil on lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, and vitamin A levels in the corpus uteri, cornu uteri and corpus luteum of young and adult female sheep.
Yildiz S, Naziroglu M, Kaya I, Aydilek N, Yuce A.
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafkas University, Kars, Turkey. yildizsedat@hotmail.com
The aim of the current study was to determine whether a rumen protected palm oil based diet affect malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), reduced glutathione (rGSH) and vitamin A levels in the tissues of cornu uteri, corpus uteri and corpus luteum over the barley based isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diet, and whether the response is different between ewes and ewe-lambs. During the breeding season, half of Morkaraman ewes (2-4-year-old, n = 10) and ewe-lambs (7-8-months-old, n = 10) was offered a barley based diet and the other half was offered a protected palm oil based diet for 42 +/- 0.7 days. At the end of the experiment all animals were slaughtered and measurements carried out in the tissues collected. In all animals tested, cornu uteri had the highest MDA levels followed by corpus uteri and corpus luteum (P < 0.01) but no differences were between the tissues observed in GSH-Px and rGSH levels (P > 0.05). Vitamin A levels were, however, higher in corpus luteum than in cornu uteri and corpus uteri (P < 0.05). Corpus uteri MDA levels were not different (P > 0.05) but rGSH levels were higher for the palm oil fed groups (P < 0.05). GSH-Px and rGSH levels were higher for ewe-lambs than ewes (P < 0.05). In conclusion, it appears that MDA, rGSH, GSH-Px, and vitamin A work in a different fashion for corpus uteri, cornu uteri and corpus luteum, and for ewes and ewe-lambs. Dietary palm oil did not significantly affect the parameters studied except higher rGSH levels in corpus uteri. Levels of antioxidatively active substances, such as rGSH and GSH-Px were lower in ewes compared with those in ewe-lambs.
PMID: 12440793 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Approaches to reduce vitamin A deficiency in Lagos State, Nigeria.
[No authors listed]
PIP: A study conducted among 496 ophthalmologic patients in Nigeria's Lagos State revealed a 10.1% prevalence of vitamin A deficiency, defined on the basis of the clinical presence of keratomalacia and night blindness. Since patients with mild or subclinical deficiency were not counted, this rate underestimates the true occurrence of vitamin A deficiency. In response to these findings, Optonet International, Nigeria produced a leaflet: "Save a life from vitamin A deficiency and xerophthalmia--Give vitamin A." Also prepared was a poster emphasizing that vitamin A prevents death and blindness in children. The educational materials emphasize the importance of breast feeding in the first 6 months and a diet containing green leafy vegetables and fruits, yellow vegetables and fruits, liver, whole milk, eggs, and red palm oil.
PMID: 12293180 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Feeding of red palm oil-supplemented diets to rats may impact positively on vitamin A status.
Edem DO, Eka OU, Umoh IB.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
The impact of feeding of dietary palm oil supplements on plasma vitamin A profile was investigated in animals. Four-week-old Wistar albino rats (n = 8 per group) were maintained for 28 days on standard rat food (4.7% fat by weight) supplemented (10%, 20% and 30% by weight) with red palm oil (RPO) and refined palm olein (REFPO). Plasma beta-carotene and vitamin A concentrations of rats fed RPO-based diets were higher than in rats fed REFPO and control diets. Animals fed 30% RPO-containing diets had lower plasma beta-carotene concentrations than those fed 20% RPO-containing diets. The results suggest that consumption of palm oil in moderate amounts enhances growth of tissues and bioavailability of beta-carotene, which may combat vitamin A deficiency in developing countries, in view of the fact that performed vitamin A in animal products (namely meat, liver, eggs and fatty fish) is out of the reach of economically deprived people.
PMID: 12090023 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Lack of influence of red palm oil on severity of malaria infection in pre-school Nigerian children.
Cooper KA, Adelekan DA, Esimai AO, Northrop-Clewes CA, Thurnham DI.
Northern Ireland Centre for Diet & Health, University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK. ka.cooper@ulst.ac.uk
Vitamin A supplements are reported to reduce febrile episodes of malaria and parasite counts, especially in children aged 12-36 months. Red palm oil (RPO) is a good source of vitamin A, is rich in alpha- and beta-carotene and is as effective as high-dose retinyl palmitate supplements in improving vitamin A status. In western Nigeria, where malaria is endemic, RPO is widely used and consumption can be measured using plasma alpha-carotene as a proxy biomarker since there are few other prominent sources of this carotene in the diet. The influence of RPO consumption on malaria was investigated in 207 children (aged 0-60 months) who presented with fever in August-October 1999 at several hospital clinics around Ile-Ife. Medical and anthropometric data, body temperature, parasitaemia and plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), retinol, carotenoids and tocopherols were measured in the children. Mothers were interviewed on usage of cooking oil and mosquito nets in the home, education and occupation. Most families used RPO and median plasma concentrations of both alpha-carotene (0.518 mumol/L) and beta-carotene (0.698 mumol/L) in the children were high. Using body temperature, parasite density and plasma CRP as markers of disease severity, multiple linear regression analysis was carried out on those for whom complete data were available (n = 138), separated into 3 age-groups of < 12 months (n = 37), 12-36 months (n = 68) and > 36 months (n = 33). In the absence of plasma retinol, plasma alpha-carotene explained 13.9% of the variance in parasite density (P = 0.013) but only in children aged > 36 months. The relationship with disease severity was negative, i.e., there was some evidence that RPO usage protected against malaria, and other dietary indices generally indicated that better nutritional status was associated with a lower severity of malaria.
PMID: 12055820 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
[Changes in vitamin A intake following the social marketing of red palm oil among children and women in Burkina Faso]
[Article in French]
Zagre NM, Delisle H, Tarini A, Delpeuch F.
Departement de nutrition, Universite de Montreal, CP 6128, succ. centre-ville, Montreal Qc H3C 3J7, Canada.
This paper focuses on changes in vitamin A (VA) intakes as part of the evaluation of a pilot project on social marketing of red palm oil (RPO) as a VA supplement for mothers and children in central-north Burkina Faso. The objectives of the 30-month project are to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of introducing RPO in non-consuming areas. RPO is collected from women in the South-West region and it is sold in project sites by village volunteers. RPO is promoted by community workers trained in persuasive communication and social marketing. The target population is free to buy and consume RPO. Evaluation design includes data collected at onset, then 12 and 24 months later, from the same sample of 210 mothers and their children randomly selected in seven project sites. Children were 1 to 3 years old at onset. Blood samples were collected at baseline from mothers and children for serum retinol determination by HPLC. VA intakes are estimated by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, using the conventional beta-carotene to retinol conversion factors and the newly revised lower factors. VA deficiency is a major public health problem in the area: 64% of mothers and 85% of children had serum retinol concentrations < 0,70 mumol/l at baseline. VA came mainly from plant foods, particularly fruits and dark green vegetables which provided more than 90% of the dietary VA at onset of the project. Mean vitamin A intakes are low. We found 138 106 mug ER for the children and 302 +/- 235 microg ER for the mothers with conventional factors and 64 +/- 58 microg ER and 133 +/- 162 microg ER, respectively, with the revised factors. One year later, one third of respondents had consumed RPO in the previous week, and it supplied around 56% of the VA intake of children and 67% of mothers (36% and 46% respectively for the whole group). VA intakes were significantly increased at 510 +/- 493 microg ER and 801 +/- 913 microg ER for the children and their mothers respectively (347 +/- 443 microg ER and 568 +/- 803 microg ER respectively, with the revised factors). Analyzing serum retinol and dietary data collected at baseline, it was found that VA intakes < 62,5% of safe level of intake were highly sensitive to low serum retinol (< 0,70 micromol/l) and using revised conversion factors to assess total VA intake slightly enhanced sensitivity. The proportion of mothers and children at risk of inadequate VA intake changed from nearly 100% at baseline to 60% one year later. The results show that promoting RPO (and other VA rich foods) was effective in improving VA intakes. This improvement will hopefully be sustained and even further enhanced during the remaining 12 months of the project, after which repeated measurement of serum retinol and VA intakes will allow the actual impact of the project to be truly assessed.
PMID: 11943637 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Impact of vitamin A supplementation through different dosages of red palm oil and retinol palmitate on preschool children.
Sivan YS, Alwin Jayakumar Y, Arumughan C, Sundaresan A, Jayalekshmy A, Suja KP, Soban Kumar DR, Deepa SS, Damodaran M, Soman CR, Raman Kutty V, Sankara Sarma P.
Regional Research Laboratory, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Trivandrum, India.
Red palm oil (5 ml and 10 ml), ground nut oil fortified with 400 and 800 retinol equivalent retinol palmitate, and ground nut oil (5 and 10 ml), were administered to six groups of preschool children (four experimental and two control groups) in randomly assigned balwadis of Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu for a period of 7 months, to monitor the difference in the efficacy of the mode of supplementation and the optimum dose for improving vitamin A status. Results show that red palm oil groups recorded more gain in retinol and beta-carotene levels compared to other dosage groups, and that administration of 10 ml did not offer any substantial improvement over the 5-ml daily dose.
Publication Types:
PMID: 11871368 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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