Riboflavin status in Saudi Arabia--a comparative study in different regions

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) status was investigated in male and female Saudis of different age groups in different regions of Saudi Arabia using the assay of glutathione reductase (GR) in presence and absence of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and determination of the activity coefficient (AC) for GR. The overall prevalence of riboflavin deficiency as determined by an AC value of 1.3 or above, in the male population of Al-Hafouf, Jaizan and Riyadh was found to be 32.6%, 17.8% and 17.1%, respectively, while in the female population the prevalence was 41.5%, 22.3% and 37.9%, respectively. Within each region a marked variation was found in the different age groups. In this paper the riboflavin status and the prevalence of riboflavin deficiency in three regions of Saudi Arabia is presented and the possible causes for a high prevalence of riboflavin deficiency in the Saudi population are discussed.