A pilot study on the use of plasma carotenoids and ascorbic acid as markers of compliance to a high fruit and vegetable dietary intervention.

The authors examined the feasibility of using plasma carotenoids and ascorbic acid as markers of compliance for dietary intervention trials aimed at increasing the quantity and variety of the fruit and vegetable intake of free-living individuals. Nineteen former cancer patients who had been successfully treated for a stage I or II squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, or lung were recruited. Subjects served as their own controls. However, in order to detect any seasonal trends, 4 individuals among the 19 were randomized to a nonintervention group. Subjects in the intervention group were counseled by dietitians with the goal of increasing their intake of fruits and vegetables to eight servings/day (1 serving each of dark green vegetables, yellow-orange vegetables, tomato products, and other vegetables; 3 servings of vitamin C-rich fruits; and 1 serving of other fruits). Subjects in the nonintervention group were advised to follow their usual diet. Three-day measured food records kept at base line and after 3 months of intervention, as well as unannounced 24-h dietary recalls, documented an increase in mean fruit and vegetable intake from 4.2 to 9.5 servings daily in the intervention group. A concomitant increase of 29% was observed in total plasma carotenoids (P = 0.02), with increases of 25% for plasma lycopene (P = 0.06), 31% for plasma lutein (P = 0.002), 39% for plasma beta-carotene (P = 0.01), and 57% for plasma alpha-carotene (P = 0.01). Mean plasma levels of ascorbic acid increased by 27% (P < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Mayonnaise, Sandwiches and Salmonella.

Sandwiches, prepared with home-cooked or commercially purchased turkey meat and made with or without commercially available mayonnaise, were inoculated with approximately 600-700 cells of a nalidixic acid-resistant strain of Salmonella typhimurium per gram of each sandwich. The sandwiches were incubated at 4, 21, and 30 C and samples analyzed at 4, 8 and 24 h for the number of S. typhimurium cells. Significant increases in the number of S. typhimurium cells were found in sandwiches prepared without mayonnaise and containing home cooked turkey meat after 8 h of incubation at 30 C and 24 h of incubation at 21 or 30 C. The increase in numbers of S. typhimurium in sandwiches prepared with commercially processed turkey meat was significantly lower than the increase in sandwiches prepared with home-cooked turkey meat. Mayonnaise had a significant inhibitory effect on growth of S. typhimurium in sandwiches prepared with turkey breast meat; however, mayonnaise did not prevent Salmonella from multiplying when the sandwiches were stored at 21 or 30 C for 8 or 24 h.