ascorbic-acid and Protein-Energy-Malnutrition

The importance of diet in multiple aspects of the immune response is inescapable. Although only a few trials have attempted to apply knowledge derived from in-vitro and animal data to humans, the ability to modulate or "reset" the immune response by manipulating dietary intake will surely continue to be studied in the future. The role of various nutrients in immunity is reviewed and clinical applications are noted.

Topics: Adult; Amino Acids; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Calcium; Child; Clinical Trials as Topic; Diet; Dietary Carbohydrates; Dietary Fats; Dietary Proteins; Fasting; Humans; Immunity; Infant; Iron; Lectins; Lipids; Magnesium; Mice; Models, Biological; Obesity; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Selenium; Vitamin A; Vitamin B Complex; Vitamin D; Vitamin E; Vitamin K; Zinc

Optimum nutrition is the level of intake that should promote the highest level of health. Although excess caloric intake will lead to obesity, a deficit in nutrition may result in a tissue depletion of essential nutrients that can lead to biochemical changes and eventually to clinical signs and symptoms. Nutrition requirements may differ according to sex, age, activity, or physiological state and can be influenced by drugs, smoking, alcohol, and other factors. With ever-increasing sedentary life styles and less physically demanding jobs, the resulting reduced caloric requirements have made it more difficult to make nutritionally sound food choices. Nutrition is the single most important component of preventive health care. Diet has been associated with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and hypertension, arteriosclerosis, and cirrhosis of the liver. The ability of the human to respond to stresses, such as altitude, heat, trauma, surgery, and infection can be influenced by nutritional status. Nutritional status is reflected in a variety of metabolic processes that provide the basis for a number of methods for its assessment.

Topics: Alcoholism; Anemia, Hypochromic; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Avitaminosis; Climate; Dietary Fats; Female; Folic Acid; Food Additives; Health; Humans; Immunocompetence; Lactation; Male; Neoplasms; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Nutritional Requirements; Obesity; Physical Exertion; Pregnancy; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Pyridoxine; Riboflavin; Smoking; Stress, Physiological; Thiamine; Trace Elements; Vitamin A; Vitamins; Zinc

Topics: Adult; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Asia, Southeastern; Child; Child, Preschool; Cricetinae; Humans; Immune System Diseases; Immunity, Cellular; Leprosy; Mice; Nutrition Disorders; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Rats; Risk

The importance of diet in multiple aspects of the immune response is inescapable. Although only a few trials have attempted to apply knowledge derived from in-vitro and animal data to humans, the ability to modulate or "reset" the immune response by manipulating dietary intake will surely continue to be studied in the future. The role of various nutrients in immunity is reviewed and clinical applications are noted.

Topics: Adult; Amino Acids; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Calcium; Child; Clinical Trials as Topic; Diet; Dietary Carbohydrates; Dietary Fats; Dietary Proteins; Fasting; Humans; Immunity; Infant; Iron; Lectins; Lipids; Magnesium; Mice; Models, Biological; Obesity; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Selenium; Vitamin A; Vitamin B Complex; Vitamin D; Vitamin E; Vitamin K; Zinc

Topics: Animals; Ascorbic Acid; England; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Nutritional Sciences; Pellagra; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Scurvy

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Child; Child Nutrition Disorders; Diagnosis, Differential; Femoral Neoplasms; Femur; Humans; Male; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Radiography; Scurvy; Treatment Outcome

Three accessions of the under-utilized legume itching bean (Mucuna pruriens var. pruriens) were analysed for proximate composition, mineral profiles, vitamins (niacin and ascorbic acid), fatty acid profiles, amino acid profiles of total seed protein, in vitro protein digestibility and certain anti-nutritional factors. All three accessions of M. pruriens var. pruriens contained higher amounts of crude protein and crude lipid when compared with most of the commonly consumed pulses. The fatty acid profiles revealed that the seed lipids contained a higher concentration of palmitic acid and linoleic acids. Amino acid profiles of M. pruriens var. pruriens revealed that the seed protein contained relatively higher levels of certain essential amino acids compared with the FAO/WHO requirement pattern. The investigated seeds are rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and manganese. Anti nutritional substances such as total free phenolics, tannins, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, phytic acid, hydrogen cyanide, trypsin inhibitor activity, oligosaccharides and phytohaemagglutinating activity were investigated. The anti-nutritional fatty acid, behenic acid, also was detected in the present study.

Topics: Amino Acids, Essential; Ascorbic Acid; Calcium, Dietary; Cooking; Dietary Fats; Digestion; Ethnobotany; Fatty Acids; Humans; India; Manganese; Mucuna; Niacin; Nutritive Value; Phytohemagglutinins; Plant Proteins, Dietary; Potassium, Dietary; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Seeds; Species Specificity

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ascorbic Acid; Dietary Proteins; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Nutritional Requirements; Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Pressure Ulcer; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Serum levels of vitamins A, E, C, B2 and carotenoids were determined in protein-energy malnourished (PEM, with body mass index, BMI<18.5 kg/m2) and non-PEM (BMI+/-18.5 kg/m2) hospitalized elderly (age > or = 65 years) patients, in the University Hospital of Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo University.. PEM (n=21) and non-PEM (n=106) patients were paired for age (73.6+/-7.3 vs. 71.6+/-5.6 years) and male percentage (65.1 vs. 52.4%). As expected, PEM elderly showed lower (P<0.05) body weight (median 43.1; range: 29.9-51.4 vs. 58.1; range: 45.7-143.5 kg), triceps skinfold (5.2+/-3.1 vs. 10.1+/-4.9 mm), and mid-arm muscle circumference (20.3+/-2.5 vs. 23.1+/-3.4 cm). Serum albumin (4.0+/-0.9 vs. 4.1+/-0.7 g/dl) and total lymphocytes count (1918.3+/-919 vs. 1842.7+/-862 mm(3)) were similar, respectively, among PEM and non-PEM patients. The percentage of biochemical riboflavin deficiency (58.8 vs. 56.2), low serum levels of vitamin A (28.6 vs. 29.6) and vitamin E (18.7 vs. 25) were similar, respectively, between PEM and non-PEM groups. The prevalence of low serum levels of water soluble vitamins was higher (P<0.01) in malnourished elderly than in the non-PEM group (ascorbic acid, 80.9 vs. 56.7%, and carotenoids, 14.3 vs. 3%, respectively).. These results suggest that hospitalized malnourished elderly show high percentage of low water soluble vitamin serum levels, a phenomenon possibly linked to decreased food intake, especially fruits and vegetables.

Topics: Aged; Anthropometry; Ascorbic Acid; Brazil; Carotenoids; Female; Fruit; Hospitalization; Humans; Lymphocyte Count; Male; Nutrition Assessment; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Riboflavin; Serum Albumin; Vegetables; Vitamin A; Vitamin E; Vitamins

Protein calorie malnutrition (PCM) is a major predictor of morbidity and mortality in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. Oxidative stress has been implicated as a contributory cause. The relative lack of ascorbic acid, a plasma antioxidant, has been reported in CAPD patients. We therefore examined the correlation between serum ascorbic acid (SAA) and parameters of PCM in a cross-sectional study of 50 clinically stable adult CAPD patients. The mean age of the study group was 61 +/- 11 years; 48% of the patients were male; and 64% had diabetes. The parameters assessed were SAA, serum albumin (S Alb), body mass index (BMI), subjective global assessment (SGA), and lean body mass (LBM). The results (mean +/- standard deviation) were: SAA, 9.44 +/- 8.79 mg/L; S Alb, 31.6 +/- 4.9 g/L; BMI, 24.4 +/- 3.4; LBM, 0.66 +/- 0.14 kg/kg body weight; SGA, 9 of 50 were considered mildly-to-moderately malnourished (the rest were well-nourished). A significant correlation (p < 0.001) was found between SAA and S Alb only with SAA < or = 9 mg/L. No correlation was seen between SAA (at any level) and BMI or LBM. The SAA was not significantly different between the groups as graded by SGA. The data suggest that the mechanisms for low serum albumin in these patients may be related to the role of ascorbic acid as a plasma antioxidant.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Body Mass Index; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nutritional Status; Oxidative Stress; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Serum Albumin

Some authors have suggested a possible loss of antioxidant factors in alcoholic skeletal myopathy. To assess the relationship between ethanol consumption and serum and muscle levels of alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, and retinol in chronic alcoholics with and without skeletal myopathy, a prospective cross-sectional study was performed in the Alcohol Unit of a 1000-bed university hospital. Twenty-five chronic male alcoholic patients (10 with skeletal myopathy) and 15 male controls of similar age were included. Evaluation of daily and lifetime ethanol consumption, assessment of anthropometric and protein nutritional parameters, and open biopsy of the left deltoid muscle were performed, as well as determinations of serum and muscle levels of retinol, alpha-tocopherol, and ascorbic acid by HPLC analysis. Ten of the 25 chronic alcoholic patients presented histological criteria of skeletal myopathy. Four alcoholics presented caloric malnutrition and three protein malnutrition. All of the muscle biopsies of the control group were entirely normal, as were their nutritional studies. The serum and muscular levels of alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, and retinol were normal and were similar in both alcoholics and controls. Except for serum retinol, these values were also similar in alcoholic patients with or without skeletal myopathy. In the univariate analysis, we identified the total lifetime dose of ethanol (p < 0.003), the muscle arm area (p < 0.05), and serum levels of prealbumin (p < 0.03) and retinol-binding protein (p < 0.05) as factors influencing the development of alcoholic myopathy. However, in multivariate analysis, the total lifetime dose of ethanol was the only independent factor in relation to alcoholic myopathy (p < 0.003). Serum and muscle levels of the antioxidants alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, and retinol do not influence the presence of skeletal myopathy in chronic alcoholic patients.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Alcoholism; Ascorbic Acid; Biopsy; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle, Skeletal; Muscular Diseases; Prealbumin; Prospective Studies; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Retinol-Binding Proteins; Risk Factors; Vitamin A; Vitamin E

Leucocyte ascorbic acid (LAA) levels were estimated in 26 Nigerian infants and preschool children with protein energy malnutrition (PEM) in order to ascertain their ascorbic acid status. The children included eight with kwashiorkor, 12 with marasmus and six with marasmic kwashiorkor. The mean (SD) LAA level of 13.7 (8.2) micrograms/10(8) leucocytes in the malnourished children did not vary significantly from the mean level of 14.4 (8.8) micrograms/10(8) leucocytes found in 26 age-matched controls, and the values were unrelated to the presence or absence of megaloblastic change in the 14 bone marrows examined. It was concluded that ascorbic acid deficiency was not prevalent amongst children with PEM in Lagos, and was therefore not usually contributory to the anaemia, megaloblastic changes or other features of the syndrome seen in Nigerian children in Lagos.

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Child, Preschool; Humans; Infant; Leukocytes; Protein-Energy Malnutrition

The duration of action of drugs (or other environmental chemicals) is dependent on their rate of metabolic deactivation and elimination from the body. Termination of activity is achieved either through excretion of the drug via the kidney and bile or, more commonly, through metabolic deactivation by enzymes of the liver and other tissues. In recent years, it has become increasingly obvious that nutritional status is one of the major factors capable of modifying the pharmacological effect of drugs. Numerous studies have indicated that the process of drug metabolism may be affected by acute starvation, undernutrition, protein nutrition, and deficiencies of minerals, vitamins, and lipids. Although most of the evidence concerning the effects of nutrition on the metabolism of drugs has been derived from studies on experimental animals, there is significant fragmentary human data to show that the same effects may occur in man. This paper will discuss the influence of nutritional status with particular references to protein and ascorbic acid on the metabolism of foreign compounds including drugs. The interrelationships of nutrition and the metabolism of drugs are an important consideration in view of the widespread recurrence of primary malnutrition in the developing countries, and of secondary malnutrition in more affluent societies, especially in debilitated chronically ill patients, in postoperative patients, and in those whose dietary manipulations are carried out in weight-reducing regimens. The effects of nutrition on drug metabolism may be viewed as an extension of the search for one of the environmental factors that modify drug action.

Topics: Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Biotransformation; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; Dietary Carbohydrates; Dietary Proteins; Humans; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Protein Deficiency; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Rats

Topics: Amino Acids; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; Blood Proteins; Brain; Histidine; Liver; Macaca nemestrina; Male; Organ Specificity; Protein-Energy Malnutrition

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Humans; Neoplasms; Protein Deficiency; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Vitamin A

Mineralization and matrix formation are closely related processes in the growth and development of both incisor and molar tooth germs. Addition of ascorbic acid does not affect in vitro collagen synthesis of tooth germs from protein-energy malnourished rats.

Topics: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Ascorbic Acid; Calcium; Collagen; Female; Hydroxyproline; Incisor; Male; Molar; Odontogenesis; Proline; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Rats; Tooth Germ

1. Plasma tyrosine and urinary p-hydroxyphenyl lactic acid (PHPLA) and p-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid (PHPAA) were studied in thirty patients with marasmus and twenty normal controls in the same age group. 2. In the control group conventional tyrosyluria was not observed but 30% of the group excreted high levels of PHPAA. In the group with marasmus, plasma tyrosine and urinary PHPLA and PHPAA values were signigificantly higher than the control values. However only 13.3% of the patients were considered to have conventional tyrosyluria and 52.3% were found to excrete high levels of PHPAA. 3. Administration of ascorbic acid resulted in a reduction of PHPLA excretion while it had no effect on PHPAA excretion. 4. It was inferred that (a) tyrosyluria in marasmus is due to the reduced activity of the hepatic enzyme 4-hydroxyphenyl pyruvate: oxygen oxidoreductase (hydroxylating, decarboxylating) (PHPAA-oxidase; EC 1.13.11.27) due to the deficiency of ascorbic acid and (b) high excretion of PHPAA is related to age and nutrition of the child and is unaffected by the administration of ascorbic acid. 5. It was further inferred that urinary excretion of PHPLA is a reliable index of tyrosyluria.

Topics: 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase; Ascorbic Acid; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; Child, Preschool; Dietary Proteins; Humans; Infant; Lactates; Liver; Phenylacetates; Phenylpropionates; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Tyrosine

Indices of nutritional state were measured in 105 surgical patients. The indices were chosen to give information on protein-calorie malnutrition, anaemia, vitamin deficiency. Abnormal values for the various indices were common in the group as a whole and most frequent (50%) in patients who were still in hospital more than a week after major surgery. These patients had a high frequency of anaemia, vitamin deficiency, weight-loss, loss of arm-muscle bulk, and low plasma levels of transferrin and albumin. These abnormalities had gone almost entirely unrecognised, even in patients with sepsis after major surgery, who would benefit from improvement in nutritional state.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anemia; Anthropometry; Ascorbic Acid; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; Avitaminosis; Body Weight; England; Female; Folic Acid; Hemoglobins; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nutritional Requirements; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Serum Albumin; Surgical Procedures, Operative; Transferrin; Vitamin B Complex; Vitamin B Deficiency

The nutritional role fruits could play in poor-quality diets, as sources of vitamin A and ascorbic acid, is described. Likewise, summarized information is presented on the use of some unknown tropical fruits relatively abundant in Central America as components of high-protein foods, providing nutrients such as provitamin A and ascorbic acid, as well as a variety of flavors. In these studies the fruit pulp as a purée was added either fresh or drum-dried, to a corn-soybean blend. In all cases there occurred a decrease in protein quality, which was more marked for some fruits than for others, probably due to the dehydration process used. The chemical composition of other tropical fruits, not consumed by people but which could be used as animal feed, is also presented. This type of fruits includes the Chalum (Inga, spp.) and some Cucurbitaceae. Others contain seeds with a high oil and protein content. Among the latter, Jícara (Crescentia alata) offers very good industrial possibilities.

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Carotenoids; Dietary Proteins; Food Analysis; Fruit; Humans; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Nutritional Requirements; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Tropical Climate; Vitamin A

The study deals with investigations on anaemia due to iron or protein calorie deficiency and that associating acute glomerulonephritis, nephrosis and schistosoma haematobium. The rate of intestinal iron absorption using an oral dose of ferrous sulphate equivalent to 4 mg clemental iron/kg body weight was studied. The supplementing action of ascorbic acid in iron absorption in these cases was also investigated. The rate of intestinal iron absorption was enhanced in pure iron deficiency anaemia, acute glomerulonephritis and schistosoma haematobium, retarded in kwashiorkor, marasmus and nephrosis. Ascorbic acid markedly promoted iron absorption in normal subjects but slightly in pure iron deficiency anaemia. It improved iron absorption in acute glomerulonephritis and schistosoma haematobium but not in kwashiorkor, marasmus and nephrotic cases. It is concluded that ascorbic acid supplementation is of certain beneficial effect in alleviating the state of anaemia when intestinal iron absorption is not impaired. Also, it may prove to be of value to be given along with protein rehabilitation in anaemias associating protein deficiency.

Topics: Anemia; Anemia, Hypochromic; Ascorbic Acid; Child, Preschool; Egypt; Female; Glomerulonephritis; Humans; Infant; Intestinal Absorption; Iron; Male; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Schistosomiasis

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Breast Feeding; Communication; Diet Therapy; Health Education; Hospitals; Infant Nutrition Disorders; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Scurvy; Social Change; South Africa

Topics: Age Factors; Ascorbic Acid; Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Calculus; Folic Acid; Gingivitis, Necrotizing Ulcerative; Hemoglobinometry; Humans; Infant; Kwashiorkor; Nigeria; Noma; Oral Health; Periodontal Index; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Serum Albumin; Serum Globulins; Social Class; Socioeconomic Factors

Topics: Anemia, Macrocytic; Ascorbic Acid; Child, Preschool; Female; Folic Acid; Humans; Infant; Iron; Male; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Vitamin B 12; Vitamin E