Plasma riboflavin is a useful marker for studying riboflavin requirement in Chinese male adults

• Published in: Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 36; no. 6; pp. 534 - 540
• Main Authors: Guo, Changjiang, Wei, Jingyu, Gao, Weina, Pu, Lingling, Tang, Zhenchuang, Li, Lingyan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.06.2016
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Energy Metabolism; Erythrocytes; Estimated average requirement; Exercise; Fasting; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Humans; Male; Nutrition Assessment; Nutritional Requirements; Plasma; Riboflavin; Riboflavin - administration & dosage; Riboflavin - blood; Riboflavin - urine; Urinary excretion; Young Adult; estimated average requirement; FMN; FAD; CNS; MTHFR; methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase; urinary excretion; flavin mononucleotide; EAR; erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation coefficient; plasma; riboflavin; Chinese Nutrition Society; flavin adenine dinucleotide; EGRAC; Plasma; Riboflavin; Estimated average requirement; Urinary excretion
• ISSN: 0271-5317; 1879-0739
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2016.02.003

Abstract Urinary riboflavin excretion and erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation coefficient are frequently applied in determining riboflavin requirement. Previously, we found that plasma riboflavin is a sensitive marker in the assessment of riboflavin status in rat models. Here, we hypothesize that plasma riboflavin is a useful maker in studying riboflavin requirement. This study examines the changes of fasting plasma riboflavin and urinary riboflavin excretion in response to different riboflavin intake levels in Chinese male adults. The estimated average requirement (EAR) of riboflavin was extrapolated. Seventy-eight subjects were randomly divided into the control and five riboflavin-supplemented groups. A 6-week riboflavin supplementation was performed at the doses of 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, or 1.0 mg daily. The energy expenditure was 15.4 ± 1.9 MJ/d, as estimated by the 24-hr physical activity recording method. Dietary riboflavin intake was 1.0 ± 0.2 mg/d, based on chemical analysis. The fasting plasma riboflavin was increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner when the supplemented riboflavin exceeded 0.4 mg/d and the EAR of riboflavin was suggested to be between 1.3 mg/d and 1.5 mg/d. In addition, we found a significant increase in fasting urinary riboflavin excretion when the supplemented riboflavin exceeded 0.6 mg/d. The critical point was calculated as 1.4 mg/d, based on the intersecting point of the two regression lines at lower and higher riboflavin intakes. These findings demonstrate that plasma riboflavin is a sensitive marker for riboflavin status, and the EAR of riboflavin for Chinese male adults is 1.4 mg.