Incidence of biochemical vitamin B6 deficiency in Nigerian adolescents

The vitamin B6 status of 120 apparently healthy adolescents (83 males and 37 females) was assessed from dietary vitamin B6 intake, the measurement of erythrocyte alanine amino transferase activity (E-ALAT) and its in vitro stimulation by pyridoxal phosphate (PLP). The mean daily vitamin B6 and protein intakes of the adolescents were 1.52 +/- 0.4 mg and 62.04 +/- 8.3 g, respectively. Male adolescents had slightly higher (p less than 0.05) basic and stimulated E-ALAT activities than female adolescents. Dietary vitamin B6, protein intake, age and menarche also had no significant effect (p greater than 0.05) on E-ALAT measurements. Adopting an E-ALAT in vitro percentage stimulation of less than 16% as a criterion for vitamin B6 adequacy, 34% of these adolescents had poor vitamin B6 status. The similarity in the incidence of vitamin B6 deficiency among the male (33%) and female (36%) adolescents suggests that both sexes may equally be at risk to biochemical vitamin B6 deficiency. Supplementation of regular diets of institutionalised adolescents with pyridoxine or a combination of other water-soluble vitamins is suggested.