Antioxidant vitamin status of healthy man, woman and pregnant mother: A baseline study

Abstract

A cohort of one hundred and fifteen subjects, comprising fifty man, thirty nonpregnant
woman and thirty five pregnant mother, have been investigated for their
serum a-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and retinol levels. HPLC was employed to analyse
the serum a-tocopherol and retinol, and spectrophotometrlc method was used for
estimation o f serum ascorbic acid level. Mean serum a-tocopherol levels for men,
women and pregnant mother were found to be 14.9 ± 3 .2 , 13.1 ± 5 .9 6 and 22.5 ±
8.07 |xmol/L respectively, while their serum ascorbic acid were found to be 31.6 ±
11.4, 30.7 ± 20.4 and 14.0 ± 8.5 ^mol/L respectively. Their serum retinol levels were
found 1.38 ± 0.33, 0.99 ± 0.20 and 0.85 ± 0.25 |imol/L respectively. Serum atocopherol
for man (14.9 ± 3.2 nmol/L) was found significantly (P < 0.001) lower than
that for pregnant mother (22.5±8.07 nmol/L), but the level compared well with that
for non-pregnant women (13.1 ± 5.96 nmol/L). Serum ascorbic acid for man (31.6 ±
11.4 nmol/L) and non-pregnant woman (30.7 ± 20.4 nmol/L) were also found to be
equivalent, but were significantly (P < 0.001) higher than that for pregnant mother
(14.0 ± 8.5 nmol/L). Serum retinol level for man (1.38 ± 0.33 nmol/L) was found to be
significantly higher than that for non-pregnant (0.99 ± 0.20 ^mol/L, P < 0.0001) and
pregnant mother (0.85 ± 0.25 |imol/L, P<0.001). Pregnant mother were found to have
higher level of serum a-tocopherol, but lower levels of serum ascorbic acid and retinol
as compared to the non-pregnant woman. The later two serum vitamins were
observed to be higher for man as compared to those for pregnant mother. Amongst
pregnant mother, 22.9%, 45.7% and 20.0% mothers were found to have respectively
low serum levels of a-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and retinol.