Micronutrient Supplementation Augments Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) production in Caco-2 cells

Over-the-counter micronutrient supplements are widely used to alleviate symptoms of fatigue and tiredness. Owing to variable concentrations of vitamins and minerals in these supplements, their efficacy may vary significantly. The present study aimed at evaluation of ATP production efficacy of micronutrient supplements using Caco2 cells. Three supplements containing therapeutic vitamin B complex with magnesium and vitamin C (TV), therapeutic vitamin B complex with minerals (TM) and nutraceutical multivitamin and multimineral (NM) were selected. Caco2 cells were cultured and treated with varied concentration of supplements (12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200 µg/mL). The cells were incubated for varied time at 37°C in 5% CO2 atmosphere. The cells were lysed and amount of ATP produced was determined by colorimetry at 570 nm. Cells without treatment (control) and cells treated with 5 µg/mL sodium lauryl sulphate for 30 min (negative control) were used for comparison. A dose-dependent increase in ATP production was observed for all the three supplements. The optimum level of ATP was obtained when cells were treated with 100 µg/mL of supplements for 1 h. Cells treated with supplements showed markedly higher ATP production compared to control and negative control cells. Further, cells treated with TV showed markedly higher ATP level compared to cells treated with TM and NM at both 50 and 100 µg/mL concentration. ATP level was nearly 1.7-fold and 1.2-fold higher in TV treated cells compared to NM and TM treatment, respectively. The decreasing order of ATP production in cells by supplement treatment is as follows: TV > TM > NM. Further, compared to control cells, the cells treated with TV produced nearly 3-fold higher ATP. In conclusion, higher ATP levels in micronutrient treated cells support the therapeutic role of micronutrient supplements in fatigue and tiredness. Further, the concentration of micronutrients is crucial for therapeutic efficacy. Keywords: Vitamins, Minerals, Fatigue, Caco2 cells, ATP assay