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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Nutrient Data Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #349557
Title: Survey of Vitamin D and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Traditional Native Alaskan Meats, Fish, and Oils

Author
item PHILLIPS, KATHERINE - Virginia Tech
item Pehrsson, Pamela
item PATTERSON, KRISTINE - University Of Maryland

Submitted to: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/10/2018
Publication Date: 9/14/2018
Citation: Phillips, K.M., Pehrsson, P.R., Patterson, K.Y. 2018. Survey of Vitamin D and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Traditional Native Alaskan Meats, Fish, and Oils. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2018.09.008.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2018.09.008

Interpretive Summary: Greater consumption of traditional foods has been associated with improved vitamin D status in Arctic and sub-Arctic populations, including Alaskan Native populations. However, lack of vitamin D food composition data impairs epidemiological studies on health outcomes, and development of specific dietary recommendations. In this study, vitamin D, including 25(OH)D3 was quantified in native fish, fish eggs, meats (elk, caribou, goose, whale, seal) and whale and seal oil samples collected from Alaskan tribes, as prepared for traditional use. Vitamin D3, 25(OH)D3 (and D2) were assayed in alkaline-saponified samples by UHPLC-MS, after derivatization with 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-dione, with in-house control materialsn and/or NIST SRM® 1546a Meat Homogenate included in each analytical batch. All but the land animals and bearded seal meat contained =2 µg vitamin D3/100g, with >10 µg/100g in steelhead trout; dried sheefish, whitefish, smelt; smoked/dried salmon; fermented sheefish eggs; whale and seal oils. Large between-sample differences in bearded seal oil suggested possible effects of season and/or maturity on vitamin D content. 25(OH)D3 was > 0.3 µg/100g in many foods, notably smoked salmon, beluga whale skin/fat and oil and spotted seal (but not other seal) oil, with the highest levels in dried beluga whale meat, skin/fat/ and oil (up to 1.2). Vitamin D2 was <0.2 µg/100g in all foods.

Technical Abstract: Greater consumption of traditional foods has been associated with improved vitamin D status in Arctic and sub-Arctic populations, including Alaskan Native populations. However, lack of vitamin D food composition data impairs epidemiological studies on health outcomes, and development of specific dietary recommendations. In this study, vitamin D, including 25(OH)D3 was quantified in native fish, fish eggs, meats (elk, caribou, goose, whale, seal) and whale and seal oil samples collected from Alaskan tribes, as prepared for traditional use. Vitamin D3, 25(OH)D3 (and D2) were assayed in alkaline-saponified samples by UHPLC-MS, after derivatization with 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-dione, with in-house control materialsn and/or NIST SRM® 1546a Meat Homogenate included in each analytical batch. All but the land animals and bearded seal meat contained =2 µg vitamin D3/100g, with >10 µg/100g in steelhead trout; dried sheefish, whitefish, smelt; smoked/dried salmon; fermented sheefish eggs; whale and seal oils. Large between-sample differences in bearded seal oil suggested possible effects of season and/or maturity on vitamin D content. 25(OH)D3 was > 0.3 µg/100g in many foods, notably smoked salmon, beluga whale skin/fat and oil and spotted seal (but not other seal) oil, with the highest levels in dried beluga whale meat, skin/fat/ and oil (up to 1.2). Vitamin D2 was <0.2 µg/100g in all foods.