title: Incidence of biochemical vitamin B6 deficiency in Nigerian adolescents.
abstract: The vitamin B6 status of 120 apparently healthy adolescents (83 males and 37 females) was assessed from dietary vitamin B6 intake, the measurement of erythrocyte alanine amino transferase activity (E-ALAT) and its in vitro stimulation by pyridoxal phosphate (PLP). The mean daily vitamin B6 and protein intakes of the adolescents were 1.52 +/- 0.4 mg and 62.04 +/- 8.3 g, respectively. Male adolescents had slightly higher (p less than 0.05) basic and stimulated E-ALAT activities than female adolescents. Dietary vitamin B6, protein intake, age and menarche also had no significant effect (p greater than 0.05) on E-ALAT measurements. Adopting an E-ALAT in vitro percentage stimulation of less than 16% as a criterion for vitamin B6 adequacy, 34% of these adolescents had poor vitamin B6 status. The similarity in the incidence of vitamin B6 deficiency among the male (33%) and female (36%) adolescents suggests that both sexes may equally be at risk to biochemical vitamin B6 deficiency. Supplementation of regular diets of institutionalised adolescents with pyridoxine or a combination of other water-soluble vitamins is suggested.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Korede
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D026681:Vitamin B 6 Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D011736:Pyridoxine