PENILAIAN STATUS VITAMIN A SECARA BIOKIMIA

Abstract

VITAMIN A ASSESSMENT BY BIOCHEMICAL METHODS

Vitamin A has an important preventive effects on maternal and child mortality. Vitamin A deficiency
(VAD) is one of the most devastating dietary deficiencies. Several methods are available to assess
VAD. Tradisionally, clinical signs and symptoms of xerophthalmia were used to identify the
severity of population with vitamin A deficiency. Biochemical assessment methods available
which include serum retinol, serum retinol binding protein, serum retinyl ester, serum carotenoids,
dose response test, the deuterated retinol isotope dilution test and breast milk retinol
concentrations. The determination of of retinol in blood (serum retinol concentrations) is one of the
most frequently used methods, have been used extensively to identify populations at risk of
vitamin A deficiency. However, this method has several limitations. The major drawback of serum
retinol is taking blood samples are required. Beside that, serum retinol is decreased only in sever
VAD, when liver stores are nearly exhausted. Because the majority of vitamin A in the body is
stored in the liver, then the tests to measure vitamin A stores should be developed in order to
know the vitamin A status. Vitamin A concentration in breast milk is a prospective indicator of
VAD. Breast milk collection is less invasive and usually easier than blood drawing, do not have to
be further processed at the field station, thus shortening sample preparation. For the future
indicator of vitamin A, methods that are in development include using isotope dilution.

Keywords: breast milk retinol, serum retinol, vitamin A analysis