a SciTechnol journal Research Article Madziva et al., J Food Nutr Disor 2014, 3:1 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2324-9323.1000130 All articles published in Journal of Food & Nutritional Disorders are the property of SciTechnol, and is protected by copyright laws. Copyright © 2014, SciTechnol, All Rights Reserved. Journal of Food & Nutritional Disorders International Publisher of Science, Technology and Medicine Encapsulated Folic Acid in Cheddar Cheese Reduce Methionine -Induced Hyper- Homocysteinemia in Male BALB/C Mice Honest Madziva 1 , Michael Phillips 2 and Kasipathy Kailasapathy 3 * Abstract Methionine is the precursor of homocysteine. Elevated plasma homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia) is associated with occlusive vascular disease. Nutritional interventions are thought to be an effective and safe means of reducing the associated risk of disease through dietary intake of folates. We compared the impact of free and encapsulated (alginate-pectin) folic acid on methionine- induced hyperhomocysteinemia in male Balb/c mice. Cheddar cheese was used as the food carrier (folic acid incorporated into Cheddar cheese either in free form or as encapsulated capsules) and the evaluation was conducted over a 12-wk period. Mice were fed six experimental diets: (i) Met 10 [L-methionine (10 g/Kg) only intake], (ii) Met 20F [L-methionine ( 20 g/kg) with free folic acid (2 mg/kg)], (iii) Met 20E [L-methionine (20 g/kg) with encapsulated folic acid (2 mg/kg)], (iv) Met 10F [L-methionine (10 g/kg) with free folic acid (2 mg/kg)], (v) Met 10E [L-methionine (10 g/kg) with encapsulated folic acid (2mg/kg)], (vi) Control (Cheddar cheese without added folic acid). Supplementation of the diet with Met 10 and Met 20F increased plasma homocysteine to 1.8 and 6.1 times the control, respectively. The hyperhomocysteinemia caused by the dietary addition of Met 10 was counteracted by the encapsulated folic acid (Met 10E) while free folic acid (Met 10F) showed a higher result. Similarly, encapsulated folic acid caused substantial reduction in plasma homocysteine in mice fed with Met 20E compared to Met 20F. The results show that Cheddar cheese incorporated with encapsulated folates can be used as a functional food vehicle to reduce hyperhomocysteinemia. Keywords Folic acid; Alginate-pectin microcapsules; Homocysteine; Cheddar cheese; Microencapsulation *Corresponding author: Dr. Kasipathy Kailasapathy, School of Biosciences, Taylor’s University, Lakeside Campus, No. 1 Jalan Taylors, 47500 Subang Jaya, Malaysia, Tel: +61 2 45 701 653; Fax: +61 2 45 701 954; E-mail: Kailasapathy.Kasipathy@taylors.edu.my Received: July 01, 2013 Accepted: December 31, 2013 Published: January 06, 2013 genetic defects and or an inadequate status of folate and its cofactors. Less than optimal folate nutrition has been implicated as a risk factor in a number of negative health outcomes, including congenital neural tube defects (NTD) [1,2], anaemia during pregnancy [3], low infant birth weight [4], colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease [5]. In addition, a growing body of sound epidemiological evidence has shown a strong association of elevated homocysteine with incidence of vascular disease [6-8]. he association remains strong even ater adjustment for major determinants of homocysteine, such as age and renal function, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6 status, suggest that homocysteine is an independent risk factor for occlusive vascular disease [9,10]. he data provide the basis for a hypothesis that elevated blood homocysteine is a cause of vascular disease and has generated great interest because of the possibility that lowering blood homocysteine through nutritional interventions might prove to be a safe and efective means of reducing associated risk of disease. Plasma homocysteine is inversely correlated with blood folate levels and taking folic acid either as a supplement or in fortiied food has been shown to lower total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentration [11]. Most naturally occurring folate derivatives in foods are highly sensitive to temperature, oxygen, light and their stability is afected by food processing conditions. Some foods have been either enriched or fortiied with folic acid, for example, since 1995 in Australia and in 1996 in New Zealand, certain foods have been fortiied with folic acid. However, during the enrichment or fortiication food processing operations, the susceptibility of folic acid to cleavage under acidic conditions, exposure to light and high temperature has been long been established. he degree and rate of destruction is largely inluenced by the pH of the medium, reducing agents in the bufer, folate derivatives, types of bufer, and the food matrix components [12]. 5-Methyl- tetrahydrofolate is the predominant food folate [12] and is readily oxidised to 5-methyl-5, 6-dihydrofolate [13]. In this oxidised form it may represent a substantial amount of the food folate. 5-methyl-5, 6 dihydrofolate is rapidly degraded under the acidic conditions in the gastric environment. hus folic acid needs protection against not only during food processing operations, but also during gastrointestinal transit, especially through the acidic stomach. In earlier work, we reported a microencapsulation method [14] for folic acid using food grade polymers, alginate and pectin, to increase its stability since like all folates, it is in danger of oxidative degradation, which is enhanced by oxygen, light, heat and a shit in pH either way from neutral. he protective efect of the micro capsules and their applicability was evaluated in Cheddar cheese as a food matrix for the delivery of folic acid [15]. In the present study, the efects of folic acid (free and encapsulated) incorporated into Cheddar cheese on plasma homocysteine levels and the vascular consequences of hyperhomocysteinemia in mice were evaluated. Materials and Methods All the chemicals and reagents were purchased from Sigma, Castle Hill, Australia, unless otherwise speciied. Cheddar cheese production Cheddar cheeses were made as reported by Madziva et al. Introduction Elevations of plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) may occur due to