Associations of Nutrients and Dietary Preferences with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss and Infertility.

This review examines associations of nutrients and dietary preferences with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), miscarriage, and infertility. Research articles, reviews, and meta-analyses of RPL and infertility that focused on nutrition, meals, and lifestyle were reviewed, and associations of nutrients and dietary preferences with pregnancy are discussed in relation to recent research findings. Studies related to RPL were given the highest priority, followed by those dealing with miscarriage and infertility. Multivitamin supplements-even when lacking folic acid or vitamin A-reduced total fetal loss. High-dose folic acid supplementation before conception reduced the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. A meta-analysis revealed a strong association of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency with miscarriage. Another meta-analysis revealed that seafood and dairy products reduced the risk of miscarriage, whereas a caffeine intake of 300 mg/day or more was associated with miscarriage. A balanced diet that included nutrients with antioxidant properties helped prevent miscarriage, whereas a diet that included processed foods and nutrients with proinflammatory effects increased the risk of miscarriage. Associations of nutrients with RPL warrant further research.

Effects of supplementation of grazing Nellore cows with ß-carotene and vitamins A + D3 + E + biotin on follicle diameter, oestrus, establishment of pregnancy, and foetal morphometry.

The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the effects of supplementation of Nellore (Bos indicus) cows with ß-carotene + vitamins A + D3 + E + biotin on body condition score (BCS), oestrus, pregnancy, and foetal morphometry. Lactating cows (n = 497) from two herds were balanced for BCS and calving period [early calving (EC); late calving (LC)] and were assigned randomly to: Control (n = 251)-supplementation with a mineral supplement; and SUP (n = 246)-supplementation with the mineral supplement fed to control + ß-carotene (150 mg/day) + vitamin A (40,000 IU/day) + vitamin D3 (5000 IU/day) + vitamin E (300 mg/day) + biotin (20 mg/day). Cows were supplemented from Days -30 to 30 (Day 0 = timed artificial insemination; TAI). Pregnancy was diagnosed 30 days after TAI and foetal crown-rump distance and thoracic diameter were measured at 30 and 77 days of gestation. Cows in the SUP treatment were more likely to have BCS ≥3.0 on Day 0 (63.0 ± 3.1 vs. 60.2 ± 3.1; p < .01) and were more likely to gain BCS from Days -30 to 30 (57.7 ± 3.3 vs. 44.1 ± 3.3%; p < .01). Fewer LC cows in the SUP treatment were detected in oestrus at the time of the first TAI (Control: LC: 75.4 ± 4.4 vs. SUP: LC: 64.0 ± 5.2 vs. Control: EC: 65.3 ± 4.0 vs. SUP: EC: 71.8 ± 3.7; p = .04). There was a tendency for the SUP treatment to increase pregnancy to the first TAI (64.2 ± 3.0 vs. 56.6 ± 3.1%; p = .08). A greater percentage of SUP cows was detected in oestrus at the time of the second TAI (70.1 ± 5.0 vs. 52.3 ± 4.8%; p = .01). The SUP treatment increased pregnancy to the second TAI among LC cows (SUP: LC: 75.9 ± 8.0% vs. Control: LC: 50.0 ± 8.3% vs. Control: EC: 52.0 ± 5.9% vs. SUP: EC: 41.4 ± 6.5%; p = .02). The SUP treatment increased foetal size (crown-rump; p = .04 and thoracic diameter; p < .01) at 30 days of gestation and, despite decreasing crow-rump length at 77 days after the first TAI among EC cows (p < .01), it increased the thoracic diameter at 77 days after the first TAI independent of calving season. Our results support that pregnancy establishment and foetal growth can be improved when grazing Nellore cows are supplemented with ß-carotene and vitamins A + D3 + E + biotin.

Vitamin D alleviation of oxidative stress in human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress-induced retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell damage is a major factor in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Vitamin D3 (VD3) is a powerful antioxidant and it has been suggested to have anti-aging properties and potential for treating AMD. This study aimed to investigate the effect of VD3 on RPE cell oxidative apoptosis of RPE cells in order to provide experimental evidence for the treatment of AMD. METHODS: Human retinal pigment epithelial cell 19 (ARPE-19) cells were divided into four groups: blank group (untreated), model group (incubated in medium with 400 µmol/L H2O2 for 1 h), VD3 group (incubated in medium with 100 µmol/L VD3 for 24 h), and treatment group (incubated in medium with 400 µmol/L H2O2 for 1 h and 100 µmol/L VD3 for 24 h). Cell viability, cell senescence, ROS content, expression levels of vitamin D specific receptors, Akt, Sirt1, NAMPT, and JNK mRNA expression levels, SOD activity, and MDA, GSH, and GPX levels were measured. RESULTS: We first established an ARPE-19 cell stress model with H2O2. Our control experiment showed that VD3 treatment had no significant effect on ARPE-19 cell viability within 6-48 h. Treating the stressed ARPE-19 cells with VD3 showed mixed results; caspase-3 expression was decreased, Bcl-2 expression was increased, MDA level of ARPE-19 cells was decreased, GSH-PX, GPX and SOD levels were increased, the relative mRNA expression levels of Akt, Sirt1, NAMPT were increased (P < 0.05), and the relative mRNA expression level of JNK was decreased (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: VD3 can potentially slow the development of AMD.

Randomized controlled trial of enteral vitamin D supplementation (ViDES) in infants <28 weeks gestational age or <1000 g birth weight: study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D is necessary to develop healthy lungs and other organs early in life. Most infants born before 28 weeks' gestation have low vitamin D levels at birth and a limited intake during the first month. Enteral vitamin D supplementation is inexpensive and widely used. The appropriate supplementation regimen for extremely preterm infants is controversial, and the effect of different regimens on their blood levels and outcomes is unclear. METHODS: Randomized, blinded comparative effectiveness trial to compare two vitamin D supplementation regimens for inborn infants <28 weeks gestation or <1000 g birth weight at a large academic center in the United States. Infants are stratified by birth weight and randomized within 96 h after birth to either routine supplementation (400 IU/day with established feedings) or increased supplementation (800 IU/day with any feedings) during the first 28 days after birth. We hypothesize that the higher and early vitamin D dose (800 IU/day with early feeding) compared to placebo plus routine dose (400 IU/day with established feeding) will substantially increase total 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels measured as state-of-art at 1 month, reduce respiratory support at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age (on an ordinal scale predictive of later adverse outcomes), and improve or at least not worsen other important secondary outcomes. The infants in the study will follow up at 22-26 months' corrected age (~2 years) with blinded certified examiners to evaluate neurodevelopmental outcomes. The sample size of a minimum of 180 infants provides >90% power to detect a >95% posterior probability of a 33% increase in serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and >80% power to detect a >80% posterior probability of a relative risk decrease of 20% of reducing respiratory support by intention-to-treat Bayesian analyses using a neutral prior probability. DISCUSSION: Our study will help clarify the uncertain relationship of vitamin D supplementation and its associated serum metabolites to clinical outcomes of extremely preterm infants. Confirmation of our hypotheses would prompt reconsideration of the supplementation regimens used in extremely preterm infants and justify a large multicenter study to verify the generalizability of the results. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05459298. Registered on July 14, 2022.

Vitamin C for all?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Vitamin C can be a potential adjunctive treatment option for critically ill individuals due to its pleiotropic effects as electron donor in many enzymatic reactions throughout the body. Recently, several important randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating vitamin C in critically ill patients have been published. RECENT FINDINGS: Two recent large RCTs administering high-dose vitamin C to patients with sepsis and COVID-19 showed signs of harm. Though performed at high standard, these trials had several limitations. Recent studies in cardiac surgery and burns showed decreased cardiac enzymes and improved clinical outcomes after cardiac surgery, and decreased fluid requirements, reduced wound healing time and in-hospital mortality after burns. Vitamin C may hold benefit in the management of other ischemia/reperfusion injury populations, including postcardiac arrest patients and after solid organ transplantation. Currently, covering basal vitamin C requirements during critical illness is recommended, though the exact dose remains to be determined. SUMMARY: Future work should address optimal vitamin C timing, since early versus late drug administration are likely distinct, and duration of therapy, where withdrawal-induced injury is possible. Additionally accurate assessment of body stores with determination of individual vitamin requirements is crucial to ascertain patient and subgroups most likely to benefit from vitamin C.

Putative mechanism of a multivitamin treatment against insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is caused by the abnormal secretion of proinflammatory cytokines in adipose tissue, which is induced by an increase in lipid accumulation in adipocytes, hepatocytes, and myocytes. The inflammatory pathway involves multiple targets such as nuclear factor kappa B, inhibitor of nuclear factor κ-B kinase, and mitogen-activated protein kinase. Vitamins are micronutrients with anti-inflammatory activities that have unclear mechanisms. The present study aimed to describe the putative mechanisms of vitamins involved in the inflammatory pathway of insulin resistance. The strategy to achieve this goal was to integrate data mining and analysis, target prediction, and molecular docking simulation calculations to support our hypotheses. Our results suggest that the multitarget activity of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B12, C, D3, and E inhibits nuclear factor kappa B and mitogen-activated protein kinase, in addition to vitamins A and B12 against inhibitor of nuclear factor κ-B kinase. The findings of this study highlight the pharmacological potential of using an anti-inflammatory and multitarget treatment based on vitamins and open new perspectives to evaluate the inhibitory activity of vitamins against nuclear factor kappa B, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and inhibitor of nuclear factor κ-B kinase in an insulin-resistant context.

Assessment of Vitamin Concentrations in Patients with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and Their Relationships with Thyroid Function, Biochemical Status, and Anthropometric Parameters-A Preliminary Study.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is the leading cause of hypothyroidism, affecting mainly the female population. Many patients with HT have metabolic disorders and nutritional deficiencies. The aim of this study was to evaluate vitamin D, A, E, B2, and B6 concentrations, thyroid function, metabolic profile, and anthropometric parameters of patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. In 81 female patients with HT (study group), vitamin A and B2 concentrations were significantly lower than in 34 healthy women (control group). No differences were noted in vitamin D, E, and B6 concentrations between groups. Moreover, HT patients had similar anthropometric parameters, lipid profiles, and glucose and insulin concentrations compared to controls. This study showed some relationships between vitamin concentrations and anthropometric or biochemical profiles in HT patients. Among others, in the HT group, the concentration of vitamin D was positively correlated with the level of HDL and negatively correlated with BMI, total fat mass, and insulin level, which influence cardiovascular risk. The results indicate that patients with HT should be routinely tested for vitamin concentrations to prevent nutritional deficiencies. Further studies are also needed on the role of vitamins in the development and progression of HT and the presence of metabolic complications in this population.

Longitudinal Changes in Human Milk Minerals and Vitamins in the Chinese Population: A Scoping Review.

This scoping review aims to investigate longitudinal changes in minerals and vitamins concentrations in human milk among the Chinese population. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a comprehensive and systematic literature search was conducted using both English and Chinese databases. Data were extracted and categorized into six defined lactation stages. We found that the concentration of most minerals decreased throughout the lactation period, although calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) fluctuated slightly across lactation periods. Fat-soluble vitamins also showed a decline throughout the lactation period, while water-soluble vitamins exhibited an increasing trend. However, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid demonstrated a downward trend. Overall, this review has identified the longitudinal changes in minerals and vitamins concentrations in human milk among the Chinese population. In order to conduct a more in-depth examination of maternal characteristics and nutritional factors of the composition of human milk, it is recommended to utilize standardized protocols for the collection and analysis of human milk samples.

Efficacy of a Food Supplement Containing Lactobacillus acidophilus LA14, Peptides, and a Multivitamin Complex in Improving Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Related Outcomes and Quality of Life of Subjects Showing Mild-to-Moderate Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

Dietary interventions represent an interesting alternative to pharmacological treatments for improving the quality of life (QoL) of subjects suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a food supplement (FS) containing a probiotic strain, bioactive peptides, and vitamins in relieving heartburn/dyspeptic symptoms in subjects with mild-to-moderate GERD. Fifty-six adult participants were randomly assigned to receive the placebo or the active FS for 28 days. Subjects were asked to record daily the frequency and intensity of heartburn episodes and the intake of over- the-counter (OTC) medications. GERD-QoL and self-assessment questionnaires were also completed every two weeks and at the end of the treatment, respectively. FS was effective in achieving a progressive and significant reduction of heartburn frequency and severity, with an intergroup significant difference at the end of the treatment period. FS group also reported a reduction in the OTC medication intake, whereas placebo administration did not modify the OTC intake. Results from the QoL and self-assessment questionnaires showed that FS administration achieved a progressive and statistically significant intragroup and intergroup improvement in the QoL score and a higher positive response with respect to the placebo treatment.

Randomized Trial to Assess the Safety and Tolerability of Daily Intake of an Allulose Amino Acid-Based Hydration Beverage in Men and Women.

BACKGROUND: Maintaining adequate hydration is critical to optimal health, well-being, and performance. Those who are physically active in stressful environments, such as warm and/or humid scenarios, may be at particular risk for dehydration with ensuing loss of electrolytes, leading to sluggishness and impaired physical performance. METHODS: We evaluated an electrolyte and amino acid product containing L-alanine and L-glutamine, as well as select vitamins [B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cobalamin), and vitamin C (ascorbic acid)]. Subjects (n = 40; four groups, n = 10) were randomized to consume either a placebo packet or one, two, or three packets daily of the test product for 4 weeks with site visits at 0, 2, and 4 weeks. We tested safety and tolerability by analyzing hematological parameters (complete blood counts), metabolic parameters (hepatic, renal, acid-base balance), urinalysis end products, thyroid status [T3 (triiodothyronine), T4 (thyroxine), TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone)], tolerability (via questionnaire), vital signs, and dietary intake. RESULTS: Statistical analyses displayed ten significant main effects (p < 0.05) with white blood cells, lymphocytes, neutrophils, urinary pH, thyroxine, urination frequency, calcium, calories, fat, and cholesterol. Interactions for time and group (p < 0.05) were observed for MCV, eGFR, potassium, overall tolerability, bloating, and cramping-demonstrating mild GA disturbances. Little to no change of physiological relevance was noted for any outcome variable, regardless of dosing level. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate the product was well-tolerated at all dosing levels and no significant adverse changes occurred in any of the test parameters compared to the placebo group, indicating relative safety of ingestion over a 4-week treatment period, at the volumes used, and outside the context of physical stress.

Vitamin-D as a multifunctional molecule for overall well-being: An integrative review.

Vitamin D is amongst the most important biomolecules to regularize and help in sustainable health, however, based on the studies, deficiency of this multifunctional vitamin is common. Vitamin D, besides playing a role in the form of vitamins, also acts as a multifunctional hormone (steroid). Vitamin D is synthesized inside the body through various steps starting from ultraviolet radiation exposure and comes from limited food sources, however, vitamin D-fortified food products are still among the major sources of vitamin D. Current review, focused on how vitamin D acts as a multifunctional molecule by effecting different functions in the body in normal or specific conditions and how it is important in fortification and how it can be managed from the available literature till date. During the Covid pandemic, people were aware of vitamin D and took supplementation, fortified foods, and sat under sunlight. As COVID prevalence decreases, people start forgetting about vitamin D. Vitamin D is very crucial for overall well-being as it has protective effects against a broad range of diseases as it can reduce inflammation, cancer cell growth and helps in controlling infection, increase metabolism, muscle, and bone strength, neurotransmitter expression, etc. Therefore, the present review is to provoke the population, and fulfillment of the vitamin D recommended dietary allowance daily must be confirmed.

Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and the role of maternal prenatal depression.

BACKGROUND: The current study sought to investigate the correlation between vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women with vitamin D deficiency in early pregnancy and the incidence of prenatal depression prior to delivery. METHODS: This is a retrospective, single-center study that was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Chengdu, China. We conducted an analysis on pregnant women who were initially diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency at 12-14 weeks of gestation. After starting vitamin D supplementation at a dose of 800 IU daily from 14 weeks onwards, we measured both their vitamin D concentration and depression scores again during median gestational week 39 prior to delivery. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 1365 women who had been diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency at 12-14 weeks of gestation between November 1st, 2021 to November 1st, 2022. 537 pairs were matched based on a propensity score to control for other confounding factors. After propensity score matching, the baseline vitamin D levels were made consistent between the groups (P = 0.512). The incidence of depression in patients in vitamin D deficiency group following vitamin D supplementation was significantly higher than insufficiency group and reached statistical significance (P < 0.001). Additionally, we observed that serum 25-(OH) D concentration achieving insufficiency status after supplementation was 59.12%. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that daily supplementation of 800IU of vitamin D can improve the depressive symptoms of individuals who are vitamin D deficiency during early pregnancy but achieve vitamin D insufficiency after supplementation during prenatal period.

Vitamin D supplementation and calcium: Many-faced gods or nobody in fighting against Corona Virus Disease 2019.

In December 2019, Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first identified and designated as a pandemic in March 2020 due to rapid spread of the virus globally. At the beginning of the pandemic, only a few treatment options, mainly focused on supportive care and repurposing medications, were available. Due to its effects on immune system, vitamin D was a topic of interest during the pandemic, and researchers investigated its potential impact on COVID-19 outcomes. However, the results of studies about the impact of vitamin D on the disease are inconclusive. In the present narrative review, different roles of vitamin D regarding the COVID-19 have been discussed to show that vitamin D supplementation should be recommended carefully.

Association of circulating vitamin levels with thyroid diseases: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Previous observational studies have shown conflicting results of vitamins supplementation for thyroid diseases. The causal relationships between vitamins and thyroid diseases are unclear. Therefore, we conducted a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) study to explore association of circulating vitamin levels with thyroid diseases. Methods: We performed a bidirectional MR analysis using genome-wide association study (GWAS) data. Genetic tool variables for circulating vitamin levels include vitamins A, B9, B12, C, D, and E, Genetic tool variables of thyroid diseases include autoimmune hyperthyroidism, autoimmune hypothyroidism, thyroid nodules (TNs), and Thyroid cancer (TC). Inverse-variance weighted multiplicative random effects (IVW-RE) was mainly used for MR Analysis, weighted median (WM) and MR Egger were used as supplementary methods to evaluate the relationships between circulating vitamin levels and thyroid diseases. Sensitivity and pluripotency were evaluated by Cochran's Q test, MR-PRESSO, Radial MR, MR-Egger regression and leave-one-out analysis. Results: Positive MR evidence suggested that circulating vitamin C level is a protective factor in autoimmune hypothyroidism (ORIVW-RE=0.69, 95%CI: 0.58-0.83, p = 1.05E-04). Reverse MR Evidence showed that genetic susceptibility to autoimmune hyperthyroidism is associated with reduced level of circulating vitamin A(ORIVW-RE = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95-1.00, p = 4.38E-02), genetic susceptibility of TNs was associated with an increased level of circulating vitamin D (ORIVW-RE = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.03, p = 6.86E-03). No causal and reverse causal relationship was detected between other circulating vitamin levels and thyroid diseases. Conclusion: Our findings provide genetic evidence supporting a bi-directional causal relationship between circulating vitamin levels and thyroid diseases. These findings provide information for the clinical application of vitamins prevention and treatment of thyroid diseases.

Multivitamin Use and Mortality Risk in 3 Prospective US Cohorts.

Importance: One in 3 US adults uses multivitamins (MV), with a primary motivation being disease prevention. In 2022, the US Preventive Services Task Force reviewed data on MV supplementation and mortality from randomized clinical trials and found insufficient evidence for determining benefits or harms owing, in part, to limited follow-up time and external validity. Objective: To estimate the association of MV use with mortality risk, accounting for confounding by healthy lifestyle and reverse causation whereby individuals in poor health initiate MV use. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used data from 3 prospective cohort studies in the US, each with baseline MV use (assessed from 1993 to 2001), and follow-up MV use (assessed from 1998 to 2004), extended duration of follow-up up to 27 years, and extensive characterization of potential confounders. Participants were adults, without a history of cancer or other chronic diseases, who participated in National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study (327 732 participants); Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (42 732 participants); or Agricultural Health Study (19 660 participants). Data were analyzed from June 2022 to April 2024. Exposure: Self-reported MV use. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was mortality. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. Results: Among 390 124 participants (median [IQR] age, 61.5 [56.7-66.0] years; 216 202 [55.4%] male), 164 762 deaths occurred during follow-up; 159 692 participants (40.9%) were never smokers, and 157 319 participants (40.3%) were college educated. Among daily MV users, 49.3% and 42.0% were female and college educated, compared with 39.3% and 37.9% among nonusers, respectively. In contrast, 11.0% of daily users, compared with 13.0% of nonusers, were current smokers. MV use was not associated with lower all-cause mortality risk in the first (multivariable-adjusted HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.07) or second (multivariable-adjusted HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.99-1.08) halves of follow-up. HRs were similar for major causes of death and time-varying analyses. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of US adults, MV use was not associated with a mortality benefit. Still, many US adults report using MV to maintain or improve health.

[Study on determination methods and analysis of micronutrients in take-away meals].

OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively analyze the trace nutrient contents in take-away meals, the simultaneous detection method of common vitamins in take-away meals were explored based on the samples' matrix, and the content of trace nutrients in take-away meals was analyzed combined with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry(ICP-MS) detection of common elements. METHODS: Fifty-seven take-away meals were collected randomly and analyzed. Vitamins were determined by high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detector tandem fluorescence detector after pretreatment of samples including enzymatic digestion, hydrolysis and extraction. The separation was performed on a C_(18) column(250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 µm) with ion-pair acid reagents as the mobile phase for water-soluble vitamins and methanol for fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin B_1, vitamin B_2, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide and vitamin A were detected by ultraviolet detector(UVD), while vitamin B_6 and E by fluorescence detector(FLD). Elemental analysis of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc, selenium and copper in the take-away meals was carried out according to GB 5009.268-2016 by ICP-MS to comprehensively evaluate the contents of micronutrients. RESULTS: Through optimization of chromatography and sample pretreatment conditions, the sensitivity of the established detection method can meet the needs of micronutrient evaluation with the detection limits and quantification limits of vitamins in the range of 0.002-0.098 mg/100 g and 0.007-0.327 mg/100 g, respectively. Good precision was obtained(<10%). The spiked recovery rates were 80.5%-103.8%(n=6). The result showed that the contents of micronutrients in take-away meals were generally low. The detection rates of vitamins ranged from 21.1% to 98.2%. CONCLUSION: The proposed method is simple and sensitive, and the contents of vitamins and elements determined were low in the collected take-away meals.

Exploring the interaction and impact of probiotic and commensal bacteria on vitamins, minerals and short chain fatty acids metabolism.

There is increasing evidence that probiotic and commensal bacteria play a role in substrate metabolism, energy harvesting and intestinal homeostasis, and may exert immunomodulatory activities on human health. In addition, recent research suggests that these microorganisms interact with vitamins and minerals, promoting intestinal and metabolic well-being while producing vital microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). In this regard, there is a flourishing field exploring the intricate dynamics between vitamins, minerals, SCFAs, and commensal/probiotic interactions. In this review, we summarize some of the major hypotheses beyond the mechanisms by which commensals/probiotics impact gut health and their additional effects on the absorption and metabolism of vitamins, minerals, and SCFAs. Our analysis includes comprehensive review of existing evidence from preclinical and clinical studies, with particular focus on the potential interaction between commensals/probiotics and micronutrients. Finally, we highlight knowledge gaps and outline directions for future research in this evolving field.

An innovative protocol to increase egg production of chicken layers.

This study investigated the effects of different doses of limestone, light durations, light intensities, and vitamins on both the productive performance and egg quality. The study utilized two rearing houses (control and treatment), each accommodating 75000 Lohmann Brown Classic chicks reared in open-sided rearing cages from one day old until they reached 89 weeks of age. Throughout the laying period, the hens were subjected to a specific light regimen (light = 14 h; dark = 10 h a day). At the end of experiment, the treatment group displayed significant (p<0.05) differences compared to the control group across various parameters. Notably, the treatment group exhibited lower daily feed intake (treatment: 112 g/bird vs control: 115 g/bird), 9.6% higher egg production (treatment: 78.5% vs control: 68.9%), lower body weight (treatment: 2057 g vs control: 2073 g), lower feed conversion ratio (FCR)/egg (treatment: 1.44 vs control: 1.69), higher egg weight (treatment: 69.4 g vs control: 68.5 g), greater egg mass (treatment: 56.14 vs control: 48.76), greater shell thickness (treatment: 3.52 mm vs control: 3.44 mm), and greater shell weight (treatment: 9.3 g vs control: 8.79 g). However, the albumin weight, yolk weight, yolk diameter, shape index, and Haugh units (HU) were not significantly (p˃0.05) affected after 75 weeks of treatment when compared with those of the control group. Therefore, this study is the first of its kind to demonstrate that different ratios of limestone, different durations and intensities of light, and different vitamin supplementation doses in the treatment group (subjected to the novel rearing recommendations described in this study) may yield a profit of 180,541 USD, exceeding the baseline profit of the control group (subjected to conventional rearing methods).

Kazimierz Funk: Polish vitamins' discoverer. / Kazimierz Funk - polski odkrywca witamin.

Kazimierz Funk, born on February 23, 1884, in Warsaw, demonstrated an early inclination toward the field of human physiology. He charted his scientific trajectory within esteemed European scientific institutions, commencing at the age of 16 in Geneva, where he pursued studies in natural sciences. Subsequently, he continued his academic endeavors in Bern, culminating in the attainment of his doctorate in 1904. Following this, Funk relocated to Paris and secured a position at the Pasteur Institute. In France, his research concentrated on elucidating the role of trace elements in the human body. In 1906 he transitioned to Berlin, collaborating with Hermann Fisher (1852-1919) to investigate proteins and cancer processes. In 1910, Funk ventured to London, joining the Lister Institute, where he initiated research on beriberi disease. His investigations led to the isolation of a substance pivotal in treating the ailment, which he termed "vitamin" (derived from 'vita' meaning life and 'amine' indicating a nitrogen-containing compound). Despite four nominations for the Nobel Prize (in 1914, 1925, 1926, and 1946), Kazimierz Funk didn't receive the prestigious accolade. In 1925, at the urging of Dr. Ludwik Rajchman (1881-1965), the director of the National Institute of Hygiene, Funk assumed the directorship of the Biochemistry and Hygiene of Nutrition Branch at the National School of Hygiene. Under Funk's guidance, Poland became the third European country to produce insulin. Kazimierz Funk passed away on November 19, 1967, in New York City, at the age of 83. His significant contributions to the fields of biochemistry and nutrition endure as a testament to his enduring impact on scientific understanding. This proposal aims to condense and emphasise Kazimierz Funk's diverse scientific interests and the various scientific teams and sites he collaborated with, which ultimately led to his groundbreaking discover.