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The effect of vitamin B-6 supplementation on plant protein utilization in adults

We investigated the effect of pyridoxine
supplementation on the utilization of protein in a low-protein,
plant-based diet in four subjects (2 men and
2 women), aged 21 to 38 years. Following two days of a
negligible protein diet, this 34 day study was divided into
three dietary periods: the subjects received a low-protein,
plant-based diet during period I for 10 days (no pyridoxine
supplement), the same diet but with the addition of 50 mg
pyridoxine HCl during period II for 7 days, and their self-chosen
diets during period III for 15 days (no pyridoxine
supplement). Data for period III will be reported
elsewhere. The greatest portion of protein in the
experimental diet was furnished by pinto beans (1.02 g nitrogen) and peanut butter (0.86 g nitrogen); nitrogen
intake was kept constant at 4.56 g/d for the men and
4.15 g/d for the women during periods I and II. These
diets administered during periods I and II provided 0.907
mg of vitamin B-6 for the men and 0.758 mg of vitamin B-6
for the women and was adequate in other nutrients except
for protein.
Overall, the effect of 50 mg pyridoxine HC1
supplementation on the utilization of protein in a low-protein
plant-based diet was not statistically significant
(p > 0.05) on the basis of a paired t-test for the
parameters measured: nitrogen balance, apparent protein
digestibility, as well as plasma and urinary urea nitrogen.
Furthermore, we obtained conflicting results, when the
subjects received pyridoxine, their plasma urea nitrogen
increased slightly (suggesting increased protein
degradation), while the percent of total urinary nitrogen
excretion as urea nitrogen decreased (suggesting decreased
protein degradation). These changes were not statistically
significant, but limitations in the nitrogen balance
technique and the analytical procedures we used may have
contributed to these conflicting results. We suggest that
a longer study with more subjects may show a greater
improvement of plant protein utilization than we had
observed. / Graduation date: 1990

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/27041
Date15 December 1989
CreatorsRuhumba-Sindihebura, Pascaline
ContributorsMiller, Lorraine T., Rossignol, Annette M.
Source SetsOregon State University
Languageen_US
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis/Dissertation

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