Blood Folic Acid and Vitamin B12Activities in Healthy Infants and in Infants with Nutritional Anaemias

Effect of processing on folic acid fortified Baladi bread and its possible effect on the prevention of colon cancer

This paper studied the possible effect of folic acid in fortified Baladi bread on the prevention of colon cancer development in rats. Wheat flour samples (82% extraction rate) and soy bean flour were analyzed to determine their folic acid contents using the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Unfortified and folic acid fortified Baladi breads were prepared. Samples from each step of bread preparation were analyzed for folic acid concentration. Protein, fat, ash, fibers and carbohydrates percentages were also determined. Rats were divided into five groups, four of them were injected subcutaneously with dimethylhydrazine (DMH). After 15 weeks, the rats were sacrificed for pathological examination. Results showed that the folic acid content in wheat flour (82% extraction rate) was found to be highly significantly lower than that in soybean flour. After baking, folic acid content in all breads was found to decrease significantly. The highest protein and fat contents were found in soybean flour fortified Baladi bread. The colons of rats of groups 3 (fed 5% soy flour fortified Baladi bread) and 5 (fed Baladi bread fortified with 5% soy flour+8 mg folic acid/kg wheat flour) were the mostly affected by DMH injection as premalignant changes were observed.

Renal loss of folate in the newborn infant

Renal excretion of folate during the first 5 days of life has been measured in 10 infants of 31 to 40 weeks' gestation and compared with inulin clearance. Average daily folate loss per unit surface area (23 μg/m²) was nearly 8 times as high as in adult life and more than enough to account for the observed fall in plasma folate activity. No difference was detected between the pattern of folate excretion in preterm and term infants. Poor tubular reabsorption of filtered folate is thought to be responsible for the loss observed.

Relation between maternal and infant blood folate activities

The relation between maternal and cord blood folate activity was investigated in a group of 110 primigravidae and their infants. Approximately half of these mothers had received folic acid supplements during their pregnancy, and the effects of this on infant blood folate levels at birth and at 6 weeks were also studied. In unsupplemented pregnancies there was a significant relation between infant and maternal blood folate levels at delivery. The results of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy were reflected by higher cord blood values, but 6 weeks after delivery infant plasma folate levels were essentially the same in both groups and independent of maternal supplies before delivery.