Reduction in dietary vitamin B₆ intake is associated with an increased relative risk of diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis and cognitive dysfunction. The current research has assessed vitamin B₆ intakes and PLP concentrations as a marker of vitamin B₆ status among the UK adult (≥ 19 years) population. This study was carried out using a cross-sectional analysis of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (NDNS) (2008–2017). The impacts of lifestyle factors, including type of diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, and commonly used medications grouped by therapeutic usage, were determined, and data were analysed using IBM SPSS^®. Results are expressed as medians (25th–75th percentiles), with P values ≤ 0·05 considered statistically significant. Among UK adults, the median intakes of total population of dietary vitamin B₆ met the reference nutrient intake and median plasma PLP concentrations were above the cut-off of vitamin B₆ deficiency; however, we found an association between reduction in vitamin B₆ intake and plasma PLP concentration and age group (P < 0·001). Smokers had significantly lower plasma PLP concentrations than non-smokers (P < 0·001). Moreover, regression analysis showed some commonly used medications were associated with plasma PLP levels reduction (P < 0·05). Taken together, we report on a tendency for dietary vitamin B₆ intake and plasma PLP concentrations to decrease with age and lifestyle factors such as smoking and medication usage. This information could have important implications for smokers and in the elderly population using multiple medications (polypharmacy).

Agro-industrial byproducts are recognized as sustainable sources of bioactive compounds with potential applications in functional foods. Pomegranate peel and coarse powdered date seeds are among the most abundant fruit processing residues, yet remain underutilized despite their rich in polyphenols, organic acids and other phytochemicals composition. This study aimed to comparatively evaluate the antioxidant, cytoprotective, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory, and anti-arthritic activities of pomegranate peel powder (PPP) and coarse powdered date seeds (CPDS) using a panel of in vitro assays. Antioxidant capacity was assessed by DPPH radical scavenging and reducing power methods, while cytoprotective activity was evaluated using erythrocyte membrane stabilization and protective against oxidative DNA damage methods. Anti-arthritic potential was determined using protein denaturation and proteinase inhibition methods, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity was also examined. PPP exhibited significantly higher activity compared to CPDS across most assays. PPP demonstrated stronger DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 6.73 µg/mL) compared to CPDS (IC₅₀ = 19.18 µg/mL), along with enhanced anti-hemolytic activity (IC₅₀ = 155.14 ± 1.58 µg/mL vs. 287.02 ± 2.93 µg/mL for CPDS) and stronger protein denaturation inhibition (44.73% vs. 35.78%, p < 0.05). These findings suggest that the superior biological activity of PPP may be attributed to its higher phenolic content . This supports the idea of using chemicals from pomegranate peel in functional foods and nutraceutical formulas that aim to make cells stronger and lower the health risks associated with inflammation.