QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Stoewsand, G. S. Articles by Lee, C. Y. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Stoewsand, G. S. Articles by Lee, C. Y.

Nitrite-induced Methemoglobinemia in Guinea Pigs: Influence of Diets Containing Beets with Varying Amounts of Nitrate, and the Effect of Ascorbic Acid, and Methionine^{1, 2,}

Department of Food Science and Technology, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University, Geneva, New York 14456

Experiments were conducted with young, male guinea pigs to investigate the influence of feeding a vegetable with naturally occurring low and high amounts of nitrate, and the influence of dietary supplementation of ascorbic acid and methionine on nitriite-induced methemoglobinemia. Freeze-dried red table beets were incorporated into experimental diets. The contained either a low or high amount of nitrate from manipulation of nitrogen fertilization rates during their growing period. High nitrate-containing beet diets, or nitrate added to diets, did not induce methemoglobinemia. High nitrate diets fed to guinea pigs enhanced nitrite-induced methemoglobinemia. Low nitrate-containing beet diets seemed to "protect" guinea pigs from nitrite toxicosis. Purified diets containing 1% added L-ascorbic acid slightly reduced nitrite-induced methemoglobin blood levels of normal guinea pigs compared to those fed 0.02% ascorbic acid, but there was an additional 50% reduction when 1% methionine and 1% or 2% ascorbic acid were included in the diet.

KEY WORDS: • methemoglobinemia • beets • nitrate • nitrite • ascorbic acid • methionine

¹ Presented in part at the Western Hemisphere Nutrition Congress III, Miami Beach, Florida, 1971 and the IX International Congress of Nutrition, Mexico City, 1972.

² Approved by the Director of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station for publication as Journal Paper no. 1789.

Manuscript received 23 August 1972.