Clinically Relevant Herb-Micronutrient Interactions: When Botanicals, Minerals, and Vitamins Collide.

The ability of certain foods to impair or augment the absorption of various vitamins and minerals has been recognized for many years. However, the contribution of botanical dietary supplements (BDSs) to altered micronutrient disposition has received little attention. Almost half of the US population uses some type of dietary supplement on a regular basis, with vitamin and mineral supplements constituting the majority of these products. BDS usage has also risen considerably over the last 2 decades, and a number of clinically relevant herb-drug interactions have been identified during this time. BDSs are formulated as concentrated plant extracts containing a plethora of unique phytochemicals not commonly found in the normal diet. Many of these uncommon phytochemicals can modulate various xenobiotic enzymes and transporters present in both the intestine and liver. Therefore, it is likely that the mechanisms underlying many herb-drug interactions can also affect micronutrient absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. To date, very few prospective studies have attempted to characterize the prevalence and clinical relevance of herb-micronutrient interactions. Current research indicates that certain BDSs can reduce iron, folate, and ascorbate absorption, and others contribute to heavy metal intoxication. Researchers in the field of nutrition may not appreciate many of the idiosyncrasies of BDSs regarding product quality and dosage form performance. Failure to account for these eccentricities can adversely affect the outcome and interpretation of any prospective herb-micronutrient interaction study. This review highlights several clinically relevant herb-micronutrient interactions and describes several common pitfalls that often beset clinical research with BDSs.

Efecto de nutrientes sobre la producción de biomasa del hongo medicinal Ganoderma lucidum / Effect of nutrients in the biomass production of the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum

El hongo Ganoderma lucidum, en los constituyentes de su biomasa, tiene compuestos con propiedades benéficas para la salud; es por esto que el conocimiento de las condiciones nutricionales adecuadas para su crecimiento permitirá su producción industrial y a bajo costo. En este trabajo se evaluó a nivel de matraz el efecto de la relación C/N, y la presencia de diferentes fuentes de carbono, nitrógeno y micronutrientes sobre la producción de biomasa. Empleando glucosa y peptona como fuentes de carbono y nitrógeno, respectivamente, se encontró una relación C/N óptima de 16,7:1 para la cual la máxima producción de biomasa fue de 25 g/L. Manteniendo esta relación C/N, y sustituyendo la glucosa por lactosa o harina de cebada y la peptona por extracto de levadura, la producción de biomasa se incrementó a 35 g/L. En presencia de harina de cebada la adición al medio de cultivo de sales de Mg y K, y de tiamina, no generó un mayor incremento en la producción de biomasa. La producción de biomasa de G. lucidum se ve favorecida por la presencia en el medio de cultivo de relaciones C/N cercanas a las reportadas conforme a la composición típica de los hongos, así como por la presencia de sustratos complejos como la harina de cebada que le aportan además de la fuente de carbono micronutrientes necesarios para su desarrollo.

Ganoderma lucidum fungus has some biomass components with beneficial health properties. The knowledge about its nutritionals requirements for growing will favor its industrial production at lower cost. In this work, the effect of C/N ratio, the presence of different carbon, nitrogen and micronutrients sources, on fungal biomass production, were evaluated. Using glucose and peptone as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, an optimal C/N ratio of 16,7:1 was found, for which the maximal biomass production was 25 g/L. Replacing glucose by lactose or barley flour and peptone by yeast extract at the same C/N ratio, the biomass production was enhanced to 35 g/L. With barley flour in the culture medium, the presence of Mg and K salts and thiamine did not turn out into a major increase of biomass. The G. lucidum biomass production is promoted by C/N ratios in the culture medium nearly equivalent to that found in the fungus, as well as the presence of complex substrates as barley flour which, additionally, contributes with important micronutrients along with the carbon source.

Contribution of a novel high-density micronutrient condiment (HDMC) to nutrient adequacy of home-prepared Guatemalan dishes.

BACKGROUND: The diet of low-income Guatemalan populations is mostly plant-based, deficient in some vitamins and minerals, and rich in antinutritional compounds that reduce the bioavailability of several micronutrients. Objective. To describe the manner in which low-income Guatemalan women in rural and urban settings would prepare dishes for main meals using a high-density multimicronutrient condiment (HDMC) and to compare the nutrient density and contribution to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of the dishes with and without added HDMC. METHODS: A sample of 30 women, 15 each from rural and urban households, were enrolled. The women were given 20 g of the HDMC and asked to prepare a dish at home, serve it to their families at a time of their own choosing, record the recipe and the amount of condiment added, and report these facts to an interviewer on the following day. The nutrient content of each dish was calculated from food-composition table values for raw, whole ingredients and the package label values for the HDMC. RESULTS: For all dishes combined, the HDMC provided on average 78% of the total vitamins. The proportion of the total vitamins provided by the HDMC varied greatly among different dishes. Typically a single serving of a dish without added HDMC provided less than half of the RDA (vitamin B12 and folate) for children and adult women. The midday meal is the most important meal of the day and should provide at least half of the RDA of all essential nutrients. With the HDMC added, the dishes on average provided 2 to 10 times the RDA for nutrients such as vitamins B6 and C and niacin in the reference children, and just satisfied the RDA intake for corresponding nutrients in adult women. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of the RDAs of micronutrients provided by this novel, micronutrient-rich condiment varies over a wide range, depending on idiosyncrasies of recipe ingredients, amounts of condiment added, individuals served, and age- and physiology-dependent requirements. HDMCs could provide an efficient way to deliver essential micronutrients to vulnerable populations.

Effect of the diuretic furosemide on urinary essential nutrient loss and on body stores in growing rats.

Studies using a model of non-infectious diarrhea, have shown that increasing fecal mass by using laxatives resulted in greater fecal losses of nutrients and lower intestinal absorption. In the present study we used a diuretic to determine if increasing urine volume could result in greater urinary losses of essential nutrients. This is a relevant question because diuretics are widely and successfully used in the treatment of diseases associated with water retention and hypertension. They are known to increase potassium losses. However, there is less information on the effect of diuretics on the urinary losses of essential nutrients. Accordingly, urinary nitrogen, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and retinol were measured in young rats consuming increasing concentrations of furosemide (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 mg/g diet) in the diet over 15 days. The results showed that dietary furosemide caused a dose-dependent polyuria. In addition it reduced food intake and feed efficiency and leaded to poor growth and greater urinary losses of all the measured nutrients and electrolytes. These losses were proportional to urine volume and represented an important fraction of the rats daily intake. The losses were negatively associated with the body and liver content of the same electrolytes and nutrients. In general, this study showed that the diuretic furosemide caused malnutrition in a short period of time by reducing food intake as well as the capacity of retaining macro and micronutrients including the liposoluble vitamin A in a relatively short period of time. This study, together with our previous studies on diarrhea, indicate that proper nutrient utilization requires both an adequate intestinal and renal function.

[Iron metabolism: current concepts of an essential micronutrient]. / Metabolismo del hierro: conceptos actuales sobre un micronutriente esencial.

Iron is an essential micronutrient involved in multiple biochemical and physiological process. In this review we discuss the most relevant aspect of its metabolism in order to reach a better comprehension of the relevant roll that this micronutrient plays in human health.

Bioavailability of iron, zinc, folate, and vitamin C in the IRIS multi-micronutrient supplement: effect of combination with a milk-based cornstarch porridge.

The effect of combining a multi-micronutrient supplement with a milk-based cornstarch porridge on the bioavailability of iron, zinc, folate, and vitamin C was evaluated using the plasma curve response over time (8 hours) in healthy women. Three tests were carried out in a crossover design: S (multi-micronutrient supplement), MS (multi-micronutrient supplement plustest meal), and M (test meal). Relative bioavailability was determined as the percent ratio of the area under the curve (AUC) in MS corrected by M, and AUC in S. Compared to S, AUC in MS was smaller for iron (p < .05), for zinc (p < .01), and for folate (p < .05), but not different for vitamin C. Relative bioavailability was lower (p < .05) than 100% for iron (80%), zinc (70%), and folate (85%). The decrease in bioavailability of these nutrients when the multi-micronutrient supplement is combined with a milk-based cornstarch porridge is small. Therefore, the tested meal is a suitable vehicle for the multi-micronutrient supplement.

Metabolismo del hierro: conceptos actuales sobre un micronutriente esencial / Iron metabolism: current concepts of an essential micronutrient

Iron is an essential micronutrient involved in multiple biochemical and physiological process. In this review we discuss the most relevant aspect of its metabolism in order to reach a better comprehension of the relevant roll that this micronutrient plays in human health.