Drought feeding of cattle. II. Comparison of daily and weekly feeding of all-grain rations: with observations on vitamin A status

1960 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 445 ◽  
Author(s):  
WH Southcott ◽  
GL McClymont

Hereford steers and heifers in poor store condition, and from 16 to 22 months old, were fed daily or weekly on whole wheat at the rate of 3.5 lb (estimated to supply 2.5 lb of starch equivalent) per day with the addition of 1 per cent. finely ground limestone. In one experiment of 16 weeks' duration, weights were maintained at about the same level (450 lb) in both groups. However, when the experiment terminated the cattle from the weekly fed group were livelier, had shed their winter coats to a greater extent, and showed more advanced eruption of the incisor teeth. In addition the values for haematocrit, haemoglobin, and red cell counts were significantly higher. In a second experiment over a period of 19 weeks, the average weights fell from 469 lb to 438 lb in the daily fed group and to 403 lb in the weekly fed group. The difference in liveweight was not significant. No improvement was observed in the activity or appearance of the cattle on weekly feeding on this occasion, although haematological examinations showed a trend in favour of this group. Additional experiments confirmed the practicability of weekly feeding for cattle and the relative ease with which the system could be introduced. However, weekly feeding incurred a greater risk of digestive disturbance and losses were heavier than with daily feeding. Cattle on carotene-deficient drought rations for 38 weeks showed no patent night blindness or other evidence of vitamin A deficiency, although individual serum vitamin A values fell as low as 2 µg per 100 ml.

1960 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 439 ◽  
Author(s):  
WH Southcott ◽  
GL McClymont

Yearling Hereford steers in store condition (average weight 585 lb) were fed whole wheat grain, or equal parts whole wheat grain and cereal hay, each diet supplying an estimated 2 lb of starch equivalent per head per day. After the different rations had been fed for 20 weeks, followed by hay-grain rations for 1 week to equalize gastro-intestinal fill, the cattle fed an all-grain ration had lost an average of 1.03 lb per day and those fed a hay-grain ration had lost 0.84 lb per day. The final difference in weight was not significant. All cattle remained in good health. Serum vitamin A levels declined during the experiment to subnormal levels, particularly in the all-grain group, but clinical signs of vitamin A deficiency ware not evident. Coprophagia, hair chewing, and biting of woodwork were observed, particularly in the all-grain group. It is concluded that all-grain rations may be satisfactorily used for drought feeding of cattle.


1989 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 138-140
Author(s):  
Paul C. Adams ◽  
Christopher L. Canny

A 42-year-old man who developed severe night blindness 15 years following jejunoileal bypass surgery for morbid obesity is described. Ophthamological testing, including dark adaptation, electroretinography and serum vitamin A levels, confirmed a diagnosis of vitamin A deficiency. Oral vitamin A 25,000 iu/day for two months resulted in a full recovery of visual deficits. Nutritional vitamin A deficiency is discussed in the context of intestinal bypass surgery.


1999 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faruk Ahmed

AbstractObjective:This article provides a comprehensive review of the change in vitamin A status and the extent of vitamin A deficiency among different population groups in Bangladesh up to the present time. The result of experience with different strategies and interventions designed to improve vitamin A status are then reviewed, leading to a discussion of key options for action, as well as important areas for research and evaluation.Design and setting:All the available data have been examined in detail, including data from nationally representative samples and nationwide surveys, as well as small studies in different population groups. Reports on the effectiveness of different intervention programmes have been used.Results:Over the past three decades a number of studies, which include national nutrition surveys, have been carried out to investigate the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among different population groups in Bangladesh, and they have demonstrated a significant public health problem. Studies have shown that the prevalence of severe deficiency, based on the prevalence of night blindness in preschool children, decreased from 3.6% in 1982–83 to 1.78% in 1989 and 0.6% in 1996. However, there is still a high prevalence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency, based on the biochemical assessment of serum retinol levels in preschool children, estimated mainly from hospital-based groups. Night blindness and Bitot's spot are also found to exist among school-age children and adolescents. Recent reports indicate that night blindness among rural mothers is as high as 1.4%. Only a limited number of studies, with small sample sizes, are available where serum retinol has been reported for school-age children, adolescents and pregnant women. Nevertheless, these studies confirm the presence of low levels of serum retinol and hence, the existence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency. Furthermore, the dietary intake of vitamin A in each population group has been found to be less than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), indicating a significant risk of deficient intakes of vitamin A.To address the problem of vitamin A deficiency, the government of Bangladesh started the Nutritional Blindness Programme in 1973. The main activities of the programme include vitamin A capsule (VAC) supplementation to children of 6 months to 6 years old, nutrition education to increase the production and consumption of vitamin A rich foods, and training of primary health-care workers on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of vitamin A deficiency, VAC distribution and nutrition education. Since 1988, as a long-term strategy, Helen Keller International has been implementing community home gardening promotion projects. To date, the possibility that foods may be fortified with vitamin A, has not been explored as a possible approach in Bangladesh.Conclusion:Although short- to long-term prevention and control programmes are to some extent in place, to improve the situation of vitamin A deficiency, Bangladesh needs a more appropriate mix of interventions for the entire population. More operational research and evaluation are needed if a fully effective programme to alleviate the problem of vitamin A deficiency is to be developed. Finally, to achieve the goal of virtual elimination of vitamin A deficiency will require an integrated approach which brings together appropriate actions at every level, within and across the many sectors of society.


2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 447-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faruk Ahmed ◽  
Asfia Azim ◽  
Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman

AbstractAims:To investigate the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among lactating women in a poor urban population of Bangladesh, and to examine the relationship between various factors and vitamin A status.Design:Cross-sectional study.Setting:Maternal and child health clinic in Dhaka City, Bangladesh.Subjects and methods:A total of 120 lactating women aged 17–37 years were randomly selected from women who attended a local maternal and child health clinic in Dhaka City for immunisation of their children. Various socio-economic, personal characteristics, dietary intakes of vitamin A and anthropometric data were collected. Serum retinol (vitamin A) concentration was determined as a measure of vitamin A status.Results:Of the subjects, 37% had low serum vitamin A levels (<30 μg dl−1), with 13.3% having sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency (<20 μg dl−1). Eighty-seven per cent had vitamin A intakes below the recommended dietary allowance. The lactating women who were either illiterate or received only informal education had significantly (P = 0.002) lower serum vitamin A levels compared with those who received formal education. The women whose husbands received formal education had significantly (P = 0.05) higher serum vitamin A levels than those whose husbands were either illiterate or received only informal education. The serum vitamin A levels of women in households with poor sanitation/latrine practice were significantly (P = 0.03) lower than those of women in households with good sanitation/latrine practice. The women with one child had significantly (P = 0.015) lower serum vitamin A levels than those with two or more children. Women with a lactation period of 6 months or more had significantly (P = 0.034) lower serum vitamin A levels than women with a lactation period of less than 6 months. The women who consumed less than the median vitamin A intake (274.8 μg day−1) had significantly (P = 0.01) lower serum vitamin A levels than those who consumed more than the median vitamin A intake. By multiple regression analysis, education level of the women, number of living children, duration of lactation and dietary intake of vitamin A were found to have significant independent relationships with serum vitamin A. The overall F-ratio (6.8) was highly significant (P = 0.000), the adjusted R2 was 0.16 (multiple R = 0.44).Conclusion:A significant proportion of poor, urban, lactating women in Bangladesh have vitamin A deficiency. Among the various factors, education level of the women, number of living children, duration of lactation and dietary intake of vitamin A appear to be important in influencing the vitamin A status of these women.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 30-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alakh Ram Verma ◽  
Prafulla Kumar Khodiar ◽  
Debapriya Rath ◽  
Seema Dhurandhar ◽  
Pradeep Kumar Patra

Background: Beside calorie and protein consumption micronutrients like folic acid, vitamin D and vitamin A have been postulated to play major role in intrauterine growth of neonates. Vitamin A compounds are critical for vision, reproduction, embryonic development, immune function and regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation.Aims and Objectives: To determine the relationship of maternal serum vitamin A levels with birth weight of babies.Material and Methods: Study group consisted of 58 randomly selected mothers who delivered at term small for gestational age babies (birth weight less than 2.5kg.). The control group comprises of 52 matched mothers, who delivered normal babies. Biochemical estimation of serum vitamin A was done by HPLC method using sigma reagent of all subjects.Results: Significantly high (p<0.05) number of mothers in study group had low serum vitamin A level compared to mothers in control group. There was a linear relationship between vitamin A status and mean birth weight of the babies.Conclusion: Although the low serum vitamin A level of mothers was significantly associated with intrauterine growth retardation, the exact effect of a vitamin A deficiency on the birth weight of babies remain unclear, but the finding suggests the importance of adequate vitamin A supplementation to pregnant mothers in India.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.8(3) 2017 30-34


1986 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Villard ◽  
C. J. Bates

1. Female weanling rats were fed on a purified diet containing either no vitamin A, apart from traces present in casein (deficient groups), or the same diet containing 1.55 mg retinol as retinyl acetate/kg (control groups). In one experiment the deficient groups were given 1 μg retinol/d after 10 weeks, to permit successful reproduction under conditions of marginal vitamin A status. A proportion were mated at 11 weeks after weaning, and fetal development was permitted for 7 d or for 20 d before killing.2. Carotene dioxygenase (EC 1. 13.11.21) activity was measured in a supernatant fraction from intestinal mucosal scrapings. For each group, activity was 20–30% greater in the vitamin-A-deficient animals than in the controls, and the difference reached statistical significance for the virgin and 7 d pregnant animals in the first experiment (severe deficiency) and for the 20 d pregnant animals in the second experiment (less-severe deficiency).3. It is suggested that low tissue vitamin A levels may feedback to increase carotene dioxygenase activity, by mechanisms at present unknown, presumably to ensure a more efficient use of precursor dietary carotenoids.


Author(s):  
Callum Livingstone ◽  
Joy Davis ◽  
Vanessa Marvin ◽  
Karen Morton

We describe a patient with a 6-year history of pancreatic malabsorption following surgical subtotal pancreatectomy. She presented at 33 weeks of pregnancy with night blindness as a result of vitamin A deficiency. She had had two successful pregnancies 9 and 8 years previously, giving birth to a healthy baby boy on each occasion. We suggest that patients with long-term malabsorption due to intestinal or pancreatic disease should have vitamin A status checked prior to and during pregnancy so that prompt supplementation can be commenced if necessary. The possibility that vitamin A deficiency may be contributing to anaemia present in pregnancy should also be considered.


2014 ◽  
Vol 84 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 52-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherry A. Tanumihardjo ◽  
Anura V. Kurpad ◽  
Janet R. Hunt

The current use of serum retinol concentrations as a measurement of subclinical vitamin A deficiency is unsatisfactory for many reasons. The best technique available for vitamin A status assessment in humans is the measurement of total body pool size. Pool size is measured by the administration of retinol labelled with stable isotopes of carbon or hydrogen that are safe for human subjects, with subsequent measurement of the dilution of the labelled retinol within the body pool. However, the isotope techniques are time-consuming, technically challenging, and relatively expensive. There is also a need to assess different types of tracers and doses, and to establish clear guidelines for the use and interpretation of this method in different populations. Field-friendly improvements are desirable to encourage the application of this technique in developing countries where the need is greatest for monitoring the risk of vitamin A deficiency, the effectiveness of public health interventions, and the potential of hypervitaminosis due to combined supplement and fortification programs. These techniques should be applied to validate other less technical methods of assessing vitamin A deficiency. Another area of public health relevance for this technique is to understand the bioconversion of β-carotene to vitamin A, and its relation to existing vitamin A status, for future dietary diversification programs.


2021 ◽  
pp. 037957212110602
Author(s):  
Mark Pretzel P. Zumaraga ◽  
Jose Maria Reynaldo Apollo Arquiza ◽  
Mae Anne Concepcion ◽  
Leah Perlas ◽  
Ma. Neda Alcudia-Catalma ◽  
...  

Background: The study aimed to identify two beta-carotene 15,15′-monooxygenase (BCMO1) mutations, namely R267S and A379V, and determine their association with vitamin A status among Filipinos 6 to 19 years old respondents of the 2013 Philippine National Nutrition Survey living in the National Capital Region. Materials and Methods: This study followed cross-sectional design. Whole blood specimen was collected in the morning and was used as source of genomic DNA and serum for retinol concentration determination. Fisher exact test was performed to determine whether genotype frequencies were associated to retinol concentrations/vitamin A deficiency status. A level of P < .05 was identified as significant. Results: A total of 693 Filipino children and adolescents were included. Of the 693, there were at least 7.6% who bears the combined mutations for R267S + A379V. Association analysis showed that an inverse relationship exists between the A379V TT variant and vitamin A status. Although the exact role of these identified polymorphisms on retinol/carotenoid metabolism need to be confirmed in dedicated functional studies. Conclusion: This study has identified for the first time the presence of 2 nonsynonymous genetic variants/mutations in the coding region of BCMO1 gene. Interestingly, one of these two variants, the A379V T, was found to be associated with vitamin A status. It is, therefore, warranted to investigate the role of BCMO1 variants for the success of supplementation programs and fortification efforts among vulnerable populations in this region. Genetic variability should be considered for future provitamin A supplementation recommendations among children and adolescents in the Philippines.


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