Aim: To assess serum ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol levels in bidi smokers, tobacco chewers and tobacco nonusers. Materials and Methods: Forty smokers [25 subjects smoking ≤24 bidi /day (moderate) and 15 subjects smoking > 24 bidi/day (heavy) with a smoking habit of > 10 years, 20 subjects tobacco chewers ≥10 g tobacco/day) chewing for > 10 years] were included in the study.All selected subjects were normal with no symptoms of any disease. They were classified on the basis of age, BMI and with and without alcohol consuming habit. Serum ascorbic acid was measured by dinitrophenyl hydrazine reagent and alpha-tocopherol by ferric chloride oxidation. Result: Serum ascorbic acid levels in moderate smokers, heavy smokers, tobacco chewers and control,were 0.31 -+0.13, 0.26+0-.16, 0.40+0.2-6 and 0.50+-0.09.In the respective group's alpha-tocopherol levels were 0.674±0.46, 0.94±0.43, 0.95±0.61 and 1.39±0.73.Conclusion: Both bidi smoking and tobacco chewing decreased ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol levels. No discernible trends were found with BMI and alcohol.
In 25 cases of pellagra and 10 healthy controls, the blood pyruvic acid levels in the fasting stage and after 60 and 90 minutes of glucose load were estimated by the technique of Friedmann & Haugen (1943). The blood pyruvic acid levels after 60 and 90 minutes of glucose load were significantly higher in pellagrins as compared to controls. The following conclusions were drawn from this study: (i) that there is impairment of pyruvic acid metabolism in cases of pellagra, which is more marked in pellagrins with neurological manifestations than in those without; (ii) that after administration of nicotinic acid alone for 15 days the pyruvic acid levels returned to normal, thereby indicating that nicotinic acid deficiency is the cause of deranged pyruvate metabolism; (iii) that there is significant improvement in neurological status after nicotinic acid therapy.
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