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Biochemical postpartum thiamine deficiency is still common in Karen refugee women. This situation may be improved by educating lactating women to reduce their consumption of thiaminase-containing foods and by implementing an effective thiamine supplementation program.

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This study investigated levels of serum homocysteine, vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin C, in 37 male and 112 female overweight and obese Thai volunteers (body mass index; BMI > or = 25.00), and 23 male and 90 female normal-weight Thai volunteers, who came for a physical check-up at the Out-patient Department, General Practice Section, Rajvithi Hospital, Bangkok from March to October of 2000. Data included anthropometric measurements and waist/hip ratios. All anthropometric variables, except height, were significantly higher for the overweight subjects than for the normal subjects. Statistically significantly higher levels of serum homocysteine were found in the overweight subjects. Serum homocysteine concentrations in overweight and obese males were significantly higher than in overweight and obese females. Serum folic acid and vitamin C in the overweight and obese were found to be statistically significantly lower than in the control subjects. No statistically significant difference in vitamin B12 was found in the overweight and obese subjects compared with the normal control subjects. The medians of serum folic acid and vitamin C concentrations for the overweight and obese males were significantly lower than those of the overweight and obese females. A negative correlation was found between serum folic acid and homocysteine concentrations in all overweight and obese subjects. A significant negative correlation between serum folic acid and vitamin B6 was observed in both male and female overweight and obese subjects. The results of the investigation suggest that homocysteine levels in overweight and obese subjects seem to be caused by insufficient dietary folic acid intake and probably not by B12 deficiency.

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of dental caries, dietary composition and whole salivary flow rates together with some of the components of saliva between two groups of children aged 12-16 years, one group from an urban area and the other from a rural area of Thailand. A stratified random samples were taken by class from one schools in each area. The children who had mixed dentition and/or who had migrated from other area of Bangkok and 138 students were selected from a school in a rural area of Khon Kaen in northeast Thailand. Results of completed 24-hour dietary recalls for three consecutive days examining the average nutrient intake were compared looking for differences, if any, between these two groups of children. Dental examinations and whole salivary sampling were also undertaken and possible relationships between some nutrients and certain salivary factors were explored. The prevalence of dental caries was found to be higher in the students living in the urban area. The children in the rural area consumed a higher load of carbohydrate, which came mainly from sticky rice. There was no difference in the protein consumption between the two groups, although the children in the rural area consumed more protein from vegetable sources. The salivary flow rate and the concentrations of fluoride, calcium and phosphate were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the group from the rural area, while the salivary pH, buffer capacity, concentrations of total protein and urea were higher in the urban area. There was no correlation between nutrient intake and salivary composition in the children from these two areas, which may suggest that dietary nutrients may not have a direct effect on salivary compositions, but it was noted that salivary flow rate correlated with salivary urea, albumin and buffer capacity in both areas.

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Alpinia galanga, or galangal, has been a popular condiment used in Thai and Asian cuisine for many years. However, relatively little is known of the potential beneficial or adverse health effects of this spice. This study was conducted to analyze the capacity of galangal extract to induce cytotoxicity and DNA damage in six different human cell lines including normal and p53-inactive fibroblasts, normal epithelial and tumour mammary cells and a lung adenocarcinoma cell line. We deliberately focused on treatment with the crude aqueous extract of galangal rhizomes, rather than compounds extracted into an organic solvent, to more closely reflect the mode of dietary consumption of galangal. The cell lines displayed a broad range of cytotoxicity. There was no evidence for preferential cytotoxicity of tumour cells, but there was an indication that p53-active cell lines may be more sensitive than their p53-inactive counterparts. The contribution of apoptosis to total cell killing was only appreciable after exposure to 300 microg/mL of extract. Apoptosis appeared to be independent of p53 expression. Exposure to as little as 100 microg/mL galangal extract generated a significant level of DNA single-strand breaks as judged by the single-cell gel electrophoresis technique (comet assay). The three major UV-absorbing compounds in the aqueous extract were identified by mass spectrometry as 1'-acetoxychavicol acetate and its deacetylated derivatives. However, when tested in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells, these compounds were not responsible for the cytotoxicity induced by the complete aqueous extract.