Effect of folic acid on animal models, cell cultures, and human oral clefts: a literature review

Abstract

Background Folate is a naturally occurring, water-soluble B vitamin. The synthetic form of this compound is folic acid (FA), the deficiency of which is linked to neural tube disorders (NTD), which can be prevented by consuming it before, or during the early months of, pregnancy. However, the effect of FA on oral cleft formation remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to review the evidence concerning the effect of FA on the formation of cleft lip and palate (CLP) in both animals and humans, as well as its impact on different cell types. A search was conducted on various databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Central, for articles published until January 2020. Main body Current systematic reviews indicate that FA, alone or in combination with other vitamins, prevents NTD; however, there is no consensus on whether its consumption can prevent CLP formation. Conversely, the protective effect of FA on palatal cleft (CP) induction has been inferred from animal models; additionally, in vitro studies enumerate a cell-type and dose-dependent effect of FA on cell viability, proliferation, and differentiation, hence bolstering evidence from epidemiological studies. Conclusions Meta-analysis, animal models, and in vitro studies demonstrated the protective effect of FA against isolated CP; however, the heterogeneity of treatment protocols, doses, and FA administration method, as well as the different cell types used in in vitro studies, does not conclusively establish whether FA prevents CLP formation.

Distribution and risk factors of cleft lip and palate on patients from a sample of Damascus hospitals - A case-control study

“…Similar to our results, several studies in the literature also found a significant association between CL/P and the lack of folic acid intake [2,22,27] and smoking [30]. Although studies did prove the role of folic acid in DNA and protein synthesis and the protective effect against CL and CLP, the specific mechanism through with the lack of B9 predisposes to both facial defects, neural tube defects and other congenital malformations remains under research [33]. Research on retinoic acid demonstrated that despite its Table 10.…”

Bibir sumbing dengan penyakit jantung bawaan: laporan kasus

“…10 Penelitian sebelumnya meneliti hubungan antara status nutrisi ibu dengan resiko terjadi CLP dan hanya berfokus pada konsumsi multivitamin dan suplementasi asam folat saja. 11 Namun belakangan ini mulai terdapat penelitian bahwa tidak hanya multivitamin dan konsumsi asam folat saja yang secara signifikan menurunkan angka resiko terjadinya CLP, tetapi juga konsumsi vitamin B, zinc, makanan kaya akan β-carotene juga memiliki pengaruh yang signifikan. 12 Didukung sebuah sistematic review yang menyatakan bahwa selama kehamilan kebutuhan makronutrien seperti karbohidrat, protein, dan lemak serta mikronutrien terutama vitamin B complex, vitamin D, kalsium, zinc, dan zat besi meningkat.…”