BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The leaves of Moringa oleifera (MO) and Moringa stenopetala (MS) commonly grown in Ethiopia possess potential nutritional and medicinal value. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional and functional characteristics of the dried leaf powder from two Moringa species to develop sustainable nutritional supplements for Ethiopians from locally grown plant sources. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Freshly harvested and air-dried MO and MS leaves were authenticated and the nutritional contents, such as protein, ash, lipids, and selected vitamins and minerals, were analyzed using standard analytical procedures. Amino acid compositions were also determined by an amino acid analyzer. Nine-week-old mice were randomly divided into four groups to investigate the anti-obesity effects of Moringa. The first group was fed a basal diet, the second group a high-fat diet, and the others were fed a high-fat diet containing 0.1% Moringa leaf powder from each species. After seven weeks, serum indices related to lipid profiles from each mouse were analyzed. RESULTS: The present study revealed high protein (28–29%) and ash (7–11%) contents. Glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, and leucine were the most abundantly found amino acids in both species. The predominant minerals in the leaf powder were calcium (826–1,530 mg/100 g), potassium (794–904 mg/100 g), and magnesium (286-431 mg/100 g). Pyridoxine (475.06 mg/100 g) and vitamin E (34.2 mg/100 g) were found only in MS. Niacin was found only in MO at 32.21 mg/100 g, whereas ascorbic acid was found in both species (3.89 and 6.19 mg/100 g dry weight for MO and MS, respectively). The results of the animal study showed that mice on a high-fat diet containing 0.1% MO leaf powder alleviated the elevation of cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol induced by the high fat diet. MO was more effective than MS in preventing hypercholesterolemia and fat deposition. CONCLUSIONS: The findings in this work confirmed that Moringa leaves of both MO and MS possessed high nutritional value but MO was better at preventing the harmful effects of the high-fat diet than MS.
Amino Acids ; Animals ; Ascorbic Acid ; Aspartic Acid ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Diet ; Diet, High-Fat ; Ethiopia ; Glutamic Acid ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Leucine ; Lipoproteins ; Magnesium ; Mass Screening ; Mice ; Minerals ; Miners ; Moringa oleifera ; Moringa ; Niacin ; Nutritive Value ; Plants ; Potassium ; Proline ; Pyridoxine ; Triglycerides ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins

Animals ; Body Weight ; physiology ; Computational Biology ; methods ; Disease Models, Animal ; Doxorubicin ; toxicity ; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated ; blood ; metabolism ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental ; blood ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Male ; Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Pyridoxine ; blood ; metabolism ; Valine ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; metabolism ; Vanillic Acid ; blood ; metabolism

PURPOSE: To report 2 cases of extraocular muscle paresis with ptosis after vincristine treatment in childhood with acute leukemia. CASE SUMMARY: A 4-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia experienced diplopia, esotropia and bilateral ptosis after intravenous vincristine treatment. Ptosis improved after two weeks of pyridoxine treatment with vincristine reduction. After 2 months, left abduction defect and ptosis completely disappeared with pyridoxine treatment. A 23-month-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia had bilateral ptosis with worsening pre-existing infantile esotropia after intravenous vincristine treatment. Bilateral ptosis resolved and esotropia improved after vincristine reduction with pyridoxine treatment for 2 months. CONCLUSIONS: We observed extraocular muscle paresis and ptosis after vincristine treatment for acute leukemia in pediatric patients. Physicians should be suspicious of toxic neuropathy related to vincristine treatment when patients have extraocular ophthalmoplegia, and physicians should know that vincristine reduction with pyridoxine supplement may be helpful.
Child, Preschool ; Diplopia ; Esotropia ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia ; Male ; Ophthalmoplegia* ; Paresis ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Pyridoxine ; Vincristine*

Pyridoxine deficiency and excess have both been implicated as causes of peripheral neuropathy. A 74-year-old man presented with paresthesia in both legs that first appeared 2 months previously. A nerve conduction study revealed axonal sensory polyneuropathy. He had consumed 100 milligrams of pyridoxine every day for 1 year, in the form of vitamin tablets. His blood levels of vitamin B6 were markedly elevated to above 250 nmol/L. This case indicates that the consumption of high-dose pyridoxine can cause sensory polyneuropathy.
Aged ; Axons ; Humans ; Leg ; Neural Conduction ; Paresthesia ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Polyneuropathies* ; Pyridoxine* ; Tablets ; Vitamin B 6 ; Vitamin B 6 Deficiency ; Vitamins

To screen molecular chaperones similar to small heat shock proteins (sHsps), but without alpha-crystalline domain, heat-stable proteins from Schizosaccharomyces pombe were analyzed by 2-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Sixteen proteins were identified, and four recombinant proteins, including cofilin, NTF2, pyridoxin biosynthesis protein (Snz1) and Wos2 that has an alpha-crystalline domain, were purified. Among these proteins, only Snz1 showed the anti-aggregation activity against thermal denaturation of citrate synthase. However, pre-heating of NTF2 and Wos2 at 70degrees C for 30 min, efficiently prevented thermal aggregation of citrate synthase. These results indicate that Snz1 and NTF2 possess molecular chaperone activity similar to sHsps, even though there is no alpha-crystalline domain in their sequences.
alpha-Crystallins ; Citrate (si)-Synthase ; Electrophoresis ; Heat-Shock Proteins, Small* ; Mass Screening* ; Mass Spectrometry ; Molecular Chaperones* ; Pyridoxine ; Recombinant Proteins ; Schizosaccharomyces*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics of nutrition-related knowledge, dietary habits, and nutrient intakes of alcoholic patients and how nutrition education affects these nutritional behaviors. METHODS: Subjects included 37 adult male alcoholic patients who were hospitalized. The nutrition education program consisted of five lessons over a five-week period. An each 80-minute nutrition education program per week was implemented for the alcoholic patients over a five-week period. Both before and after the implementation of nutrition education, their nutrition-related knowledge and dietary habits were assessed and nutrient intakes were investigated. RESULTS: The subjects showed drinking habits of considerably high frequency, a large quantity of alcohol consumption, and preference for soju (a liquor) over beer. They had proper weight, height, and BMI, and came from relatively poor socioeconomic backgrounds with a low-level of self-rated health status and a comparatively high rate of suffering from disease. Mean score of their nutrition-related knowledge and dietary habits was quite low. They consumed less energy, dietary fiber, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, Ca, and K, but more Na compared to each Dietary Reference Intake (DRI). After implementing the nutrition education, mean score of nutrition-related knowledge and dietary habits showed significant improvement. In addition, the meeting rate of each DRI of several nutrients was increased significantly, including energy, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, and B6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folic acid, Ca, P, K, Fe, and Zn, while that of Na decreased. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that alcoholic patients had various nutritional problems, such as lack of nutrition-related knowledge, bad dietary habits, and insufficient nutrient intakes, however, these problems can be positively modified by implementation of a relatively short-term nutrition education program.
Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Alcoholics* ; Ascorbic Acid ; Beer ; Dietary Carbohydrates ; Dietary Fiber ; Drinking ; Education* ; Folic Acid ; Food Habits* ; Humans ; Male ; Niacin ; Pyridoxine ; Recommended Dietary Allowances ; Riboflavin ; Vitamins

PURPOSE: To study the effects of long-term treatment with potassium magnesium citrate and vitamin B-6 prophylaxis (Urikind-KM6; 1,100-mg potassium citrate, 375-mg magnesium citrate, and 20-mg pyridoxine hydrochloride/5 mL) every 8 hours over 3 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 247 patients with recurrent idiopathic hypocitraturia with or without hyperuricosuria and randomized controls were studied prospectively for 3 years. The total patients were divided into three groups. Control group 1 consisted of 61 patients (24.7%) who had moderate to severe hypocitraturia with or without hyperuricosuria and were recurrent stone formers but discontinued prophylaxis because of drug intolerance within 1 month of therapy. Control group 2 constituted 53 patients (21.5%) who were first-time stone formers and who had mild hypocitraturia with or without hyperuricosuria and were not put on prophylactic therapy and were followed for 3.16+/-0.08 years. Control group 3 constituted 133 patients (54.8%) who were recurrent stone formers who had moderate to severe hypocitraturia with or without hyperuricosuria and were put on prophylaxis therapy and were followed for 3.16+/-0.08 years. All patients were followed up at 6-month intervals. RESULTS: Potassium magnesium citrate prophylaxis produced a sustained increase in 24-hour urinary citrate excretion from initially low values (221.79+/-13.39 mg/dL) to within normal to high limits (604.04+/-5.00 mg/dL) at the 6-month follow-up. Urinary pH rose significantly from 5.62+/-0.2 to 6.87+/-0.01 and was maintained at 6.87+/-0.01. The stone recurrence rate declined from 3.23+/-1.04 per patient per year to 0.35+/-0.47 per patient per year. CONCLUSIONS: Potassium magnesium citrate prophylaxis was effective in reducing the recurrence of calcium oxalate and phosphate urolithiasis.
Calcium Oxalate* ; Citric Acid* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Magnesium* ; Potassium Citrate ; Potassium* ; Prospective Studies ; Pyridoxine ; Recurrence ; Urolithiasis* ; Vitamins*

Isoniazid is one of the most commonly used antituberculosis drug. Acute into xication is characterized by repetitious convulsions, high anion gap metabolic a cidosis and coma. The basis of theraphy consists of parental pyridoxine admi nistration in a dose equivalent to that of isoniazid ingested. Here we present a case of seizure and metabolic acidosis due to only renal adjustment dosage of Isoniazid in an elderly woman.
Acid-Base Equilibrium ; Acidosis* ; Aged* ; Coma ; Female ; Humans ; Isoniazid* ; Parents ; Pyridoxine ; Seizures*

This study was conducted to obtain data and offer advice regarding dietary intake at kindergarten and to recommend dietary habits to prevent childhood obesity. The study was conducted in 85 children aged 4 to 5 years. Body weight and height, dietary intakes of lunch served at Kindergarten and questionnaires for dietary behaviors in Kyeongnam area were studied. All subjects were classified by their weight-length index (WLI). According to the standard WLI values, 41.2% of the children were within the normal value (90< or =WLI<110), 23.5% of the children were overweight (110< or =WLI<120), and 35.3% of the children were obese (WLI> or =120). The mean energy intake at lunch for kindergarteners was 287.1+/-13.4 kcal in the normal group, 307.6+/-10.2 kcal in the overweight group and 323.7+/-8.6 kcal in the obese group. The percent energy of estimated energy requirement (EER) was 21.8%. The intake of protein, iron, zinc, vitamin A, and pyridoxine were significantly different by WLI (P<0.05). A comparison of nutrients in the lunch menu provided with those of 1/3 recommended intake (RI) showed that preschoolers took in fewer calories, calcium, and vitamin B2, and that their deficiency rates were high (81.2%, 76.5% and 70.6% of recommended levels, respectively). There was a significant difference in the preference of fruits and milk and dairy products by WLI. Therefore, a nutritional education program and new guidance in the proper nutrition management for kindergarteners should be developed to enhance nutritional status during childhood.
Aged ; Body Weight ; Calcium ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dairy Products ; Energy Intake ; Food Habits ; Fruit ; Humans ; Iron ; Lunch ; Milk ; Nutritional Status ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Pyridoxine ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reference Values ; Riboflavin ; Vitamin A ; Zinc

PURPOSE: We analyzed retrospectively the effect of pyridoxine in the treatment of peripheral nerve related foot pain because we have seen favorable clinical results from it as a monotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the clinical results of 200 cases of peripheral nerve related foot pain, treated with pyridoxine from March 2009 to February 2012. We devided them into three groups, peripheral neuritis, Morton's neuroma and posttraumatic neuralgia and recorded percentage of improvement of pain, compared to initial pain level at 2 weeks and 6 weeks. RESULTS: There were 127 peripheral neuritis cases, 22 Morton's neuroma and 51 posttraumatic neuralgia. At 2 weeks after treatment, 135 cases(67.5%) showed pain relief. At 6 weeks, 36 cases(21%) showed complete improvement of pain, 81 cases(47%) showed more than 50% of improvement, 22 cases(13%) showed less than 50% of improvement and 33 cases(19%) showed no improvement. There are 4 cases of gastrointestinal discomfort and 2 cases of aggravation of nervy pain. CONCLUSION: Pyridoxine was effective drug in the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain in terms of pain relief, safety and cost effectiveness. So it can be an available first line drug before adding other drugs.
Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Foot ; Neuralgia ; Neuritis ; Neuroma ; Peripheral Nerves ; Pyridoxine ; Retrospective Studies