@article{BechirSchellingKraemeretal.2012,
  author    = {Bechir, Mahamat and Schelling, E. and Kr{\"a}mer, K. and Schweigert, Florian J. and Bonfoh, Bassirou and Crump, L. and Tanner, M. and Zinsstag, J.},
  title     = {Retinol assessment among women and children in sahelian mobile pastoralists},
  series = {EcoHealth : conservation medicine, human health, ecosystem sustainability},
  volume    = {9},
  journal   = {EcoHealth : conservation medicine, human health, ecosystem sustainability},
  number    = {2},
  publisher = {Springer},
  address   = {New York},
  issn      = {1612-9202},
  doi       = {10.1007/s10393-012-0781-7},
  pages     = {113 -- 121},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {Micronutrient deficiencies are widespread in developing countries, particularly in remote communities such as mobile pastoralists. The nutritional and vitamin A status of this population is not well-documented in Chad. This study assessed serum retinol levels among women and children under five-year-old in nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralist and rural-settled communities, who are similarly exposed to risk factors such as gastrointestinal parasitic infection, anaemia and emaciation. The novel method of portable fluorometry was used for the first time to measure beta-carotene and retinol levels in a pastoral nomadic area. Moderate level blood retinol deficiency (< 0.7 mu mol/L) was observed in 5\% (CI 1-11) of nomadic, 29\% (CI 13-45) of semi-nomadic and 22\% (CI 8-35) of sedentary women. In children, 1\% (CI 0.1-4), 17\% (CI 9-25) and 28\% (CI 18-39), respectively, had moderate level blood retinol deficiency. In nomadic communities, women and children had blood retinol levels close to normal. Deficiency of retinol was strongly linked with lifestyle (nomadic, semi-nomadic and settled) among women and lifestyle and age among children. The results support an ecological linkage between human retinol levels and livestock milk retinol. This study shows the feasibility of portable retinol and beta-carotene measurement in human blood as well as human and animal milk under remote field conditions, but the approach requires further validation.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MuellerRailaAltenkampetal.2012,
  author    = {Mueller, K. and Raila, Jens and Altenkamp, Rainer and Schmidt, D. and Dietrich, R. and Hurtienne, Andrea and Wink, M. and Krone, O. and Brunnberg, Leo and Schweigert, Florian J.},
  title     = {Concentrations of retinol, 3,4-didehydroretinol, and retinyl esters in plasma of free-ranging birds of prey},
  series = {Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition},
  volume    = {96},
  journal   = {Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition},
  number    = {6},
  publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell},
  address   = {Hoboken},
  issn      = {0931-2439},
  doi       = {10.1111/j.1439-0396.2011.01219.x},
  pages     = {1044 -- 1053},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {This study investigated vitamin A compounds in the plasma of healthy free-ranging Central European raptors with different feeding strategies. Plasma samples of nestlings of white-tailed sea eagle [white-tailed sea eagle (WTSE), Haliaeetus albicilla) (n = 32), osprey (Pandion haliaetus) (n = 39), northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) (n = 25), common buzzard (Buteo buteo) (n = 31), and honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) (n = 18) and adults of WTSE (n = 10), osprey (n = 31), and northern goshawk (n = 45) were investigated with reversed-phase-high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). In WTSE, northern goshawks and common buzzards retinol were the main plasma component of vitamin A, whilst in ospreys and honey buzzards, 3,4-didehydroretinol predominated. The median of the retinol plasma concentration in the nestlings group ranged from 0.12 to 3.80 mu M and in the adult group from 0.15 to 6.13 mu M. Median plasma concentrations of 3,4-didehydroretinol in nestlings ranged from 0.06 to 3.55 mu M. In adults, northern goshawks had the lowest plasma concentration of 3,4-didehydroretinol followed by WTSE and ospreys. The plasma of all investigated species contained retinyl esters (palmitate, oleate, and stearate). The results show considerable species-specific differences in the vitamin A plasma concentrations that might be caused by different nutrition strategies.},
  language  = {en}
}