Vitamin K content of cheese, yoghurt and meat products in Australia

Vitamin K - content in food and dietary intake among the Danes

Insufficient information on the content of vitamin K2 in our foods hinder estimation of the dietary intake. We aimed to establish content of eight vitamin K vitamers, vitamin K1 (phylloquinone; PK) and vitamin K2 (menaquinones; MK-4 to MK-10) in 88 composite food samples representing dairy, eggs, meat, fish, cereals, and plant-based alternatives to dairy. Combined with PK data for other foods, the dietary intake among Danes was estimated. The unit'PKeq' is used to compensate for the difference in molecular weight for MK-4 at 445 g/mol up to MK-10 at 853 g/mol. The highest content was found in chicken thigh with skin at 53 μg PKeq/100 g followed by 49 μg PKeq/100 g in Danablue (blue cheese). The daily intake of vitamin K is 139 μg to 160 μg PKeq for adults. The highest percentage comes from PK (64 %), 27 % from MK-4, 4.6 % from MK-9, and 2.4 % from MK-8.

Vitamin K content of Australian-grown horticultural commodities

Vitamin K is a multi-function vitamin that has emerging roles in bone, brain and vascular health. Vitamin K composition data remain limited globally and Australia has lacked nationally representative data for vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) in horticultural commodities. Primary samples (n = 927) of 90 Australian-grown fruit, vegetable and nut commodities were purchased in three Australian cities. We measured vitamin K1/phylloquinone in duplicate in 95 composite samples using liquid chromatography with electrospray ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry. The greatest mean concentrations of vitamin K1/phylloquinone were found in kale (565 μg/100 g), baby spinach (255 μg/100 g) and Brussels sprouts (195 μg/100 g). The data contribute to the global collection of vitamin K food composition data. They add to the evidence that vitamin K1/phylloquinone concentrations vary markedly between geographic regions, supporting development of region-specific datasets for national food composition databases that do not yet contain data for vitamin K. Such data are needed globally.

Vitamin K: Infection, Inflammation, and Auto-Immunity

Vitamin K (VK) comprises a group of substances with chlorophyll quinone bioactivity and exists in nature in the form of VK1 and VK2. As its initial recognition originated from the ability to promote blood coagulation, it is known as the coagulation vitamin. However, based on extensive research, VK has shown potential for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Studies demonstrating the beneficial effects of VK on immunity, antioxidant capacity, intestinal microbiota regulation, epithelial development, and bone protection have drawn growing interest in recent years. This review article focuses on the mechanism of action of VK and its potential preventive and therapeutic effects on infections (eg, asthma, COVID-19), inflammation (eg, in type 2 diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cancer, aging, atherosclerosis) and autoimmune disorders (eg, inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis). In addition, VK-dependent proteins (VKDPs) are another crucial mechanism by which VK exerts anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. This review explores the potential role of VK in preventing aging, combating neurological abnormalities, and treating diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Although current research appoints VK as a therapeutic tool for practical clinical applications in infections, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases, future research is necessary to elucidate the mechanism of action in more detail and overcome current limitations.