Total serum vitamin C concentration in pregnant women: implications for a healthy pregnancy

Revista Brasileira de Saúde Materno Infantil

Garba Ibrahim Hassan¹  Amodu Bala Onu¹ 

[1] ,Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University School of Science Chemistry Programme Bauchi ,Nigeria

关键词: Pregnancy;    Vitamin C;    Reactive oxygen species;    Gravidez;    Vitamina C;    Mulheres;    Espécies de oxigênio reativas;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1519-38292006000300005

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

OBJECTIVES: total serum vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) concentration was measured in 90 pregnant women, 30 in each trimester (age range 18-35 years) and a control group of age-matched non-pregnant women. METHODS: total serum vitamin C concentration was measured using the 2.4-dinitrophenylhydrazine method which involves the conversion of vitamin C to dehydroascorbic acid in the presence of copper (II) ions and subsequent measurement of the resulting bis-hydrazone at 540nm. RESULTS: the total vitamin C concentration in the first trimester was 2.55 ± 0.82 mg/dl and 2.32 ± 0.40 mg/dl and 0.77 ± 0.10 mg/dl in the second and third trimesters respectively. Relative to serum total vitamin C concentration in the controls (3.15 ± 0.13 mg/dl) these values are significantly lower (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: low serum vitamin C in pregnancy may indicate utilization of this vitamin to mop up the excess reactive oxygen species and maintain its normal homeostasis. Therefore, Vitamin C supplementation during pregnancy is recommended in order to boost the body's low vitamin C level and prevent the predisposition to low birth weight babies, premature delivery and pre-eclamsia all of which are known to be associated with sub-optimal vitamin C levels during pregnancy.

【 授权许可】

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