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Title: ASSESSMENT OF THE STABILITY OF BIOTIN IN FROZEN FOODS

Author
item TEAGUE, APRIL - UNIV OF ARKANSAS MED SC
item SEALEY, WENDY - UNIV OF ARKANSAS MED SC
item McCabe Sellers, Beverly
item MOCK, DONALD - UNIV OF ARKANSAS MED SC

Submitted to: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/15/2005
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Marginal biotin deficiency, a water-soluble B vitamin, occurs frequently in pregnancy and may cause birth defects in humans. In order to study the relationship between birth defects and biotin status, food composition values of biotin in American foods need to be established. The USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory has nationally representative food samples in frozen storage that are available for biotin analysis. The first step in establishing a biotin database, however, is to determine that the biotin content in foods frozen for storage remains stable. As no change in biotin content was detected in thirteen of the twenty foods sampled, biotin was judged to be stable in most frozen foods. This study means that the analysis of a nationally representative sample of American foods for biotin content is feasible. This means that the food composition values necessary for human research in the relationship between biotin content of the diet and birth defects can now be established.

Technical Abstract: Marginal biotin deficiency occurs frequently in pregnancy and may be a human teratogen. Addition of biotin to food composition databases would enable researchers to study the relationship between biotin intake and teratogenesis. The USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) has nationally representative food samples in frozen storage that are available for biotin analysis. Because the sample foods are stored frozen, we assessed stability of biotin in frozen foods. Twenty locally purchased foods were homogenized, frozen, and stored for 24 weeks at -20 degree C and -80 degree C. Biotin was released by acid hydrolysis; biotin content was determined by HPLC/avidin binding assay. Homogeneity of food aliquots was determined by protein assay. Changes in biotin content with time were tested for significance by linear regression. No significant changes in biotin content were detected in thirteen of the twenty foods. Of the remaining seven foods, two (mushroom and pork) decreased significantly in biotin content with time at both storage temperatures. The detectable biotin content of milk, catfish, and salmon increased significantly at both storage temperatures, as did pecan at -80 degree C and strawberries at -20 degree C. We attribute increases in detectable biotin to heterogeneity in the food aliquots. We conclude biotin is likely stable in most frozen foods.