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Farrell CC, Khanna S, Hoque MT, Plaga A, Basset N, Syed I, Biouss G, Aufreiter S, Marcon N, Bendayan R, Kim YI, O'Connor DL. Low-dose daily folic acid (400 μg) supplementation does not affect regulation of folate transporters found present throughout the terminal ileum and colon of humans: a randomized clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2024; 119:809-820. [PMID: 38157986 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Folic acid supplementation during the periconceptional period reduces the risk of neural tube defects in infants, but concern over chronic folic acid exposure remains. An improved understanding of folate absorption may clarify potential risks. Folate transporters have been characterized in the small intestine, but less so in the colon of healthy, free-living humans. The impact of folic acid fortification or supplementation on regulation of these transporters along the intestinal tract is unknown. OBJECTIVE The objective was to characterize expression of folate transporters/receptor (FT/R) and folate hydrolase, glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII), from the terminal ileum and throughout the colon of adults and assess the impact of supplemental folic acid. METHODS In this 16-wk open-labeled randomized clinical trial, adults consumed a low folic acid-containing diet, a folate-free multivitamin, and either a 400 μg folic acid supplement or no folic acid supplement. Dietary intakes and blood were assessed at baseline, 8 wk, and 16 wk (time of colonoscopy). Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and protein expression of FT/R and GCPII were assessed in the terminal ileum, cecum, and ascending and descending colon. RESULTS Among 24 randomly assigned subjects, no differences in dietary folate intake or blood folate were observed at baseline. Mean ± SD red blood cell folate at 16 wk was 1765 ± 426 and 911 ± 242 nmol/L in the 400 and 0 μg folic acid group, respectively (P < 0.0001). Reduced folate carrier, proton-coupled folate transporter, and folate-receptor alpha expression were detected in the terminal ileum and colon, as were efflux transporters of breast cancer resistance protein and multidrug resistance protein-3. Other than a higher mRNA expression of FR-alpha and GCPII in the 400 μg supplement group in the ascending colon, no treatment differences were observed (P < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Folate transporters are present throughout the terminal ileum and colon; there is little evidence that a low dose of folic acid supplementation affects colonic absorption. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03421483.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen C Farrell
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Siya Khanna
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Md Tozammel Hoque
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aneta Plaga
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nancy Basset
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ishba Syed
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - George Biouss
- Translational Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Susanne Aufreiter
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Norman Marcon
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Reina Bendayan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Young-In Kim
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Deborah L O'Connor
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Folic Acid: Sources, Chemistry, Absorption, Metabolism, Beneficial Effects on Poultry Performance and Health. Vet Med Int 2022; 2022:2163756. [PMID: 36032042 PMCID: PMC9417761 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2163756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the study of the effects of folic acid (FA) on poultry because it was observed that FA could overcome problems in poultry health while improving its performance. FA, or folate, is a water-soluble B vitamin essential in poultry, so FA intake must be available in the feed. Sources of FA in feed come from plants or animals, and animal sources have relatively more stable FA. The ingested FA will be absorbed in the intestinal lumen and transported into the liver through the blood vessels. Therefore, FA has a positive effect on the performance and health status of poultry. The effect of FA on poultry performance is to increase reproductive tract development, FA content in eggs, hatchability, weight gain, average initial body weight, feed intake, relative growth rate, chick body weight, breast fillet percentage, and reduce FCR and white striping score. At the same time, the effect on poultry health influences antioxidant activities, thyroid hormones, blood biochemicals, anti-inflammatory gene expressions, and immune responses. The present review deals with FA sources, chemistry, absorption, metabolism, effects on performance, and poultry health, which are based on valid basic information.
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Bai Y, Wang R, Yang Y, Li R, Wu X. Folic Acid Absorption Characteristics and Effect on Cecal Microbiota of Laying Hens. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:720851. [PMID: 34485442 PMCID: PMC8416075 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.720851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This experiment was conducted to investigate the characteristics of folic acid (FA) absorption in laying hens and the effect of FA supplementation on cecal microbiota. A total of 432 healthy hens (30-week-old) were randomly assigned to four diets supplemented with FA: 0, 1, 6, and 24 mg/kg of feed for 8 w. Blood, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, and cecal chyme samples (six samples per treatment) were collected from the hens at the end of the feeding trial. Expression profiles of folate transport and transformation genes in intestine and cecal microbiota were detected. Results showed that serum folate level significantly increased (P < 0.01) with an increase in dietary FA supplementation, reaching a plateau at 6 mg/kg FA supplementation. The expression of FA transport and transformation genes was not affected in the cecum (P > 0.05) by dietary FA supplementation; however, it was affected in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum and mostly showed a downward trend in treatment groups (P < 0.05). The genes affected include duodenal folate receptor (Folr) and dihydrofolate reductase (Dhfr), jejunal proton-coupled folate transporter (Pcft) and reduced folate carrier (Rfc), and ileal ATP binding cassette subfamily C member (Abcc2), Abcc3, Rfc, Folr, and Dhfr. Furthermore, according to the operational taxonomic unit classification and taxonomic position identification, the cecal microbiota population of the hens was not affected by dietary FA supplementation at the phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species levels (P > 0.05). However, the relative abundance of some microbiota was affected by dietary FA supplementation (P < 0.05). In conclusion, FA transport from the intestinal lumen into enterocytes, and then into the bloodstream, is strictly regulated, which may be associated with the regulation of the expression profiles of genes involved in FA absorption. Pathogenic bacteria decreased in the cecum, especially at 24 mg/kg supplementation, but the beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacteriaceae) decreased at this level, too. Overall, FA supplementation at 6 mg/kg, which was selected for folate-enriched egg production, did not affect the health and metabolism of laying hens negatively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Bai
- Laboratory of Poultry Production, College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Laboratory of Poultry Production, College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, China.,Department of Life Sciences, Luliang University, Luliang, China
| | - Yu Yang
- Laboratory of Poultry Production, College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, China
| | - Ruirui Li
- Laboratory of Poultry Production, College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, China
| | - Xiaotian Wu
- Laboratory of Poultry Production, College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, China
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Jing M, Gakhar N, Gibson RA, House JD. Dietary and ontogenic regulation of fatty acid desaturase and elongase expression in broiler chickens. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2013; 89:107-13. [PMID: 23809327 DOI: 10.1016/j.plefa.2013.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2013] [Revised: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Effects of diet and ontogeny on the expression of fatty acid desaturases and elongases were examined in broiler chickens. In Study 1, 120 day-old male chicks received one of six diets with LA:ALA ranging from 46:4 to 16:34, for 33 days. Total n-6 PUFA decreased, and n-3 PUFA increased in response to a decrease in the dietary LA:ALA. FADS1, FADS2, ELOVL2 and ELOVL5 mRNAs were highest (P<0.05) in birds fed lower LA:ALA diets. In Study 2, 60 day-old male chicks were fed a basal diet, and liver samples were collected on day of hatch, and on days 2, 7, 14, 21 and 35 post-hatch. Total n-6 and n-3 PUFA increased (P<0.01) from days 7 to days 21. FADS1, FADS2 and ELOVL2 mRNAs generally increased (P<0.01) with age. These findings provide evidence for the dietary and developmental regulation of PUFA metabolism in broiler chickens.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Jing
- Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 2N2
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