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. 2019 Dec 2;11(12):2918.
doi: 10.3390/nu11122918.

Vitamin B2 and Folate Concentrations are Associated with ARA, EPA and DHA Fatty Acids in Red Blood Cells of Brazilian Children and Adolescents

Fábio V Ued  1   2 , Mariana G Mathias  1 , Roseli B D Toffano  1 , Tamiris T Barros  1 , Maria Olímpia R V Almada  1 , Roberta G Salomão  1 , Carolina A Coelho-Landell  1 , Elaine Hillesheim  1 , Joyce M Camarneiro  1 , José Simon Camelo-Junior  1 , Davi C Aragon  1 , Sofia Moco  3 , Martin Kussmann  3 , Jim Kaput  3 , Jacqueline P Monteiro  1   2
Affiliations

Vitamin B2 and Folate Concentrations are Associated with ARA, EPA and DHA Fatty Acids in Red Blood Cells of Brazilian Children and Adolescents

Fábio V Ued et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Vitamins B2, B6, B12, and folate are essential for methylation reactions and possibly influence the transport of polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma and red blood cells (RBC). Associations between B-vitamin biomarkers and fatty acid (FA) profile were analyzed in Brazilian children and adolescents. This cross-sectional study included 249 children and adolescents, aged 9-13 years old. Dietary intake was assessed by the food frequency questionnaire and the healthy eating index (HEI). Biomarkers for vitamins B2, B6, B12, and folate were measured in plasma. The FA profile and the metabolites of one-carbon metabolism were measured in RBC. Associations were tested with multiple linear regression models. An increase of 1 nmol/L in vitamin B2 was associated with an increase of 0.19 mg/dL of EPA, 0.20 mg/dL of ARA, and 0.25 mg/dL of DHA in RBC. An increase of 1 ng/mL in plasma folate was associated with an increase of 0.14 mg/dL of EPA, 0.22 mg/dL of ARA, and 0.21 mg/dL of DHA in RBC. These findings highlight the importance of an adequate intake of vitamin B2 and folate in childhood, since they may improve the FA profile in RBCs and may help prevent cardiovascular disease.

Keywords: B-vitamins; adolescent; child; fatty acids; homocysteine.

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Conflict of interest statement

S.M., M.K., and J.K. were employees of NIHS, part of Nestlé group, when this study was conducted. The funder contributed to the study design, analysis of samples and data, interpretation of findings, and preparation of the manuscript. J.K. is currently employed by Vydiant and M.K. is currently employed by Frontiers. Other authors do not have any conflict of interest.

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Figure 1
One-carbon metabolism.
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