Supranormal dietary folic acid supplementation: effects on methionine metabolism in weanling rats

There are nationwide folic acid (FA) fortification programmes of staple foods established or under consideration in order to prevent neural tube defects. Universal FA fortification still remains controversial because of the concern that additional FA in the diets of population groups (e.g. children and elderly) not initially targeted for fortification may suffer adverse effects. However, dietary surveys regarding folate generally deal with adults and little is known about the consumption and long-term effects of fortified food and supplements in growing individuals. Recent reports from our laboratory show several effects of high-dose folate supplementation in rats. In the present work, we studied the effect of FA on the methionine cycle in weanling (3-week-old) male rats after 4 weeks of supplementation with 40 mg FA/kg diet v. control (1 mg FA/kg diet). FA supplementation resulted in a reduction of homocysteine and creatinine concentrations v. control group. FA supplementation did not alter S-adenosylmethionine/S-adenosylhomocysteine ratio, DNA methylation, enzymatic activities or concentrations of vitamins involved in the nutritional regulation of the methionine cycle, except for folate. FA supplementation of 40 mg/kg did not lead to hepatic or renal damage. In conclusion, there were no apparent adverse effects on one-carbon metabolism after FA supplementation in the studied conditions.