ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrigenomics
MTHFR 677C/T gene polymorphism and dietary habits: effects on trace element levels, amino acids, and biochemical parameters
Provisionally accepted
Tatjana Orct1
Jelena Kovačić1
Ines Peremin2
Zorana Kljaković-Gašpić1
Daria Pašalić3
Ankica Sekovanić1*Adrijana Dorotić4
Blanka Tariba Lovaković1
Andreja Jurič1
Alica Pizent1
Fran Crnjac3
Lora Dukić4
Marko Gerić1
Ivone Jakaša2
Goran Gajski1*- 1Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia
- 2Sveuciliste u Zagrebu Prehrambeno-biotehnoloski fakultet, Zagreb, Croatia
- 3Sveuciliste u Zagrebu Medicinski fakultet, Zagreb, Croatia
- 4Klinicka bolnica Sveti Duh, Zagreb, Croatia
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ABSTRACT Background: Previous research has identified that, in individuals with lower folate and/or vitamin B12 levels, homocysteine is associated with specific elements, while amino acids are associated with folate, thereby influencing folate availability during supplementation. This study investigates the impact of the MTHFR 677C/T polymorphism on levels of these compounds in individuals with differing meat consumption preferences, non-vegetarians and vegetarians. Methods: The study was conducted on 162 Croatian subjects. MTHFR gene polymorphism was determined by PCR-RFLP, elements by ICP-QQQ, amino acids by GC-MS, and biochemical parameters by chemiluminescent immunoassay and enzymatic methods. Differences between the groups were tested by ANOVA, while associations between the parameters were examined by multiple regression analyses. Results: The CT+TT genotype had lower folate levels in comparison to the CC genotype. The influence of MTHFR 677C/T polymorphism on element levels was limited to Al and Ca: individuals with the CT+TT genotype exhibited higher plasma Ca levels than the wild-type (CC) genotype, while lower plasma Al values were observed only in vegetarians with the CT+TT genotype. The CT+TT genotype was also associated with higher levels of glutamic acid, proline, glycine (only in vegetarians), and aspartic acid. Conclusions: Although we observed an effect of the MTHFR 677C/T polymorphism on folate, certain elements and amino acid levels, further research is required to validate our findings and establish a more comprehensive understanding of the link between elements, amino acids and the MTHFR gene polymorphism.
Keywords: Single nucleotide polymorphism, recessive genotype, Toxic and essential elements, Folate, Proline, Glutamic Acid
Received: 22 Sep 2025; Accepted: 15 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Orct, Kovačić, Peremin, Kljaković-Gašpić, Pašalić, Sekovanić, Dorotić, Tariba Lovaković, Jurič, Pizent, Crnjac, Dukić, Gerić, Jakaša and Gajski. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Ankica Sekovanić
Goran Gajski
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