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Project Title:  Stability of Pharmacotherapeutics and Nutrition Compounds-Nutrition Reduce
Fiscal Year: FY 2010 
Division: Human Research 
Research Discipline/Element:
HRP SHFH:Space Human Factors & Habitability (archival in 2017)
Start Date: 10/01/2005  
End Date: 12/31/2009  
Task Last Updated: 03/22/2010 
Download report in PDF pdf
Principal Investigator/Affiliation:   Smith, Scott M Ph.D. / NASA Johnson Space Center 
Address:  Biomedical Research and Environmental Sciences Division/SK3 
2101 NASA Pkwy 
Houston , TX 77058-3607 
Email: scott.m.smith@nasa.gov 
Phone: 281-483-7204  
Congressional District: 36 
Web:  
Organization Type: NASA CENTER 
Organization Name: NASA Johnson Space Center 
Joint Agency:  
Comments:  
Co-Investigator(s)
Affiliation: 
Swart, Sara  Universities Space Research Association 
Kloeris, Vickie  NASA Johnson Space Center 
Braby, Leslie  Texas A and M University 
Perchonok, Michele  NASA Johnson Space Center 
Key Personnel Changes / Previous PI: NOTE: previously combined in project entitled Stability of Pharmacotherapeutics and Nutrition Compounds, with Scott Smith as PI and Lakshmi Putcha as Co-PI; split into two Task Book projects in January 2010 for the entire project period, per JSC direction, with each CoPI listed as PI (ed.)
Project Information: Grant/Contract No. Directed Research 
Responsible Center: NASA JSC 
Grant Monitor: Meck, J@n  
Center Contact: 281-244-5405 
janice.v.meck@nasa.gov 
Unique ID: 7626 
Solicitation / Funding Source: Directed Research 
Grant/Contract No.: Directed Research 
Project Type: FLIGHT 
Flight Program: ISS 
TechPort: No 
No. of Post Docs:
No. of PhD Candidates:
No. of Master's Candidates:
No. of Bachelor's Candidates:
No. of PhD Degrees:
No. of Master's Degrees:
No. of Bachelor's Degrees:
Human Research Program Elements: (1) SHFH:Space Human Factors & Habitability (archival in 2017)
Human Research Program Risks: None
Human Research Program Gaps: None
Flight Assignment/Project Notes: ISS Increments 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

NOTE: Change in end date to 12/31/2009 per JSC info (12/2009)

Task Description: Data gathered from past Space Shuttle missions suggest that some of the medications packed in the Shuttle's medical pack degrade even after relatively brief periods (less than 20 days) of space flight. The observed degradation included both physical and chemical characteristics of medicine formulations. The degradation was sufficient to influence FDA stipulated shelf-life for these formulations and may result in a loss of potency. Physical and chemical instability of medications could render treatments with degraded drugs ineffective for assurance of optimal crew health during long duration space exploration missions. An evaluation of subjective data on medications used by crewmembers during space flight indicated that eight percent of all treatments administered in the Space Shuttle program were reported ineffective. Pharmaceutical instability may modify effectiveness and safety, and is one possible cause of the ineffectiveness of treatments. Degradation of food products will also render them ineffective in providing health and energy sustenance. The stability of medications and foods used by the crew, therefore, must be adequate to facilitate safe exploration of space in the future. The Stability of Pharmacotherapeutic and Nutritional Compounds (Stability) investigation will evaluate mission critical medications and foods to understand issues relating loss of potency for medicines and to nutritional adequacy of foods in space.

See also http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/experiments/Stability.html

Research Impact/Earth Benefits: The results of this investigation will help understand the effects of adverse environments on food and medicines, this information will assist Earth based explorers make healthy choices for long term exploration of remote and adverse habitats like the Antarctic, arctic and the world oceans.

Task Progress & Bibliography Information FY2010 
Task Progress: Maintaining an intact nutrient supply in the food system flown on spacecraft is a critical issue for mission success and crew health. Ground-based evidence indicates that some vitamins may be altered and fatty acids oxidized (and therefore rendered useless, or even dangerous) by long-term storage and by exposure to radiation, both of which will be issues for long-duration exploration missions in space. In this study, the stability of nutrients was investigated in food samples exposed to spaceflight on the International Space Station (ISS). Six replicates of 5 different space food items, a multivitamin, and a vitamin D supplement were packaged into 4 identical kits and were launched in 2006 on the Space Shuttle. After 13, 353, 596, and 880 days of spaceflight aboard the ISS, the kits were returned to Earth. Nine replicates of each food item and vitamin, from the same lots as those sent into space, remained in an environmental chamber on Earth to serve as controls at each time point. Vitamins, hexanal, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and amino acids were measured in identical-lot food samples at each time point. After 596 d of spaceflight, differences in intact vitamin concentrations due to duration of storage were observed for most foodstuffs, but generally nutrients from flight samples did not degrade any faster than ground controls. This study provided the first set of spaceflight data for investigation of nutrient stability in the food system, and the results will help NASA design food systems for both ISS and space exploration missions.

Study is complete and has been published. Raw data have been submitted to the LSDA.

Bibliography: Description: (Last Updated: 05/24/2023) 

Show Cumulative Bibliography
 
Articles in Peer-reviewed Journals Zwart SR, Kloeris VL, Perchonok MH, Braby L, Smith SM. "Assessment of nutrient stability in foods from the space food system after long-duration spaceflight on the ISS." J Food Sci. 2009 Sep;74(7):H209-17. PubMed PMID: 19895472 , Sep-2009
Project Title:  Stability of Pharmacotherapeutics and Nutrition Compounds-Nutrition Reduce
Fiscal Year: FY 2008 
Division: Human Research 
Research Discipline/Element:
HRP SHFH:Space Human Factors & Habitability (archival in 2017)
Start Date: 10/01/2005  
End Date: 12/31/2009  
Task Last Updated: 09/17/2009 
Download report in PDF pdf
Principal Investigator/Affiliation:   Smith, Scott M Ph.D. / NASA Johnson Space Center 
Address:  Biomedical Research and Environmental Sciences Division/SK3 
2101 NASA Pkwy 
Houston , TX 77058-3607 
Email: scott.m.smith@nasa.gov 
Phone: 281-483-7204  
Congressional District: 36 
Web:  
Organization Type: NASA CENTER 
Organization Name: NASA Johnson Space Center 
Joint Agency:  
Comments:  
Co-Investigator(s)
Affiliation: 
Daniels, Vernie  Wyle Life Sciences 
Swart, Sara  Universities Space Research Association 
Perchonok, Michele  NASA Johnson Space Center 
Kloeris, Vickie  NASA Johnson Space Center 
Braby, Leslie  Texas A and M University 
Key Personnel Changes / Previous PI: NOTE: previously combined in project entitled Stability of Pharmacotherapeutics and Nutrition Compounds, with Scott Smith as PI and Lakshmi Putcha as Co-PI; split into two Task Book projects in January 2010 for the entire project period, per JSC direction, with each CoPI listed as PI (ed.)
Project Information: 
Responsible Center: NASA JSC 
Grant Monitor: Meck, J@n  
Center Contact: 281-244-5405 
janice.v.meck@nasa.gov 
Unique ID: 7626 
Solicitation / Funding Source: Directed Research 
Project Type: FLIGHT 
Flight Program: ISS 
TechPort: No 
No. of Post Docs:  
No. of PhD Candidates:  
No. of Master's Candidates:  
No. of Bachelor's Candidates:  
No. of PhD Degrees:  
No. of Master's Degrees:  
No. of Bachelor's Degrees:  
Human Research Program Elements: (1) SHFH:Space Human Factors & Habitability (archival in 2017)
Human Research Program Risks: None
Human Research Program Gaps: None
Flight Assignment/Project Notes: ISS Increments 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

NOTE: Change in end date to 12/31/2009 per JSC info (12/2009)

Task Description: Data gathered from past Space Shuttle missions suggest that some of the medications packed in the Shuttle's medical pack degrade even after relatively brief periods (less than 20 days) of space flight. The observed degradation included both physical and chemical characteristics of medicine formulations. The degradation was sufficient to influence FDA stipulated shelf-life for these formulations and may result in a loss of potency. Physical and chemical instability of medications could render treatments with degraded drugs ineffective for assurance of optimal crew health during long duration space exploration missions. An evaluation of subjective data on medications used by crewmembers during space flight indicated that eight percent of all treatments administered in the Space Shuttle program were reported ineffective. Pharmaceutical instability may modify effectiveness and safety, and is one possible cause of the ineffectiveness of treatments. Degradation of food products will also render them ineffective in providing health and energy sustenance. The stability of medications and foods used by the crew, therefore, must be adequate to facilitate safe exploration of space in the future. The Stability of Pharmacotherapeutic and Nutritional Compounds (Stability) investigation will evaluate mission critical medications and foods to understand issues relating loss of potency for medicines and to nutritional adequacy of foods in space.

See also http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/experiments/Stability.html

Research Impact/Earth Benefits: The results of this investigation will help understand the effects of adverse environments on food and medicines, this information will assist Earth based explorers make healthy choices for long term exploration of remote and adverse habitats like the Antarctic, arctic and the world oceans.

Task Progress & Bibliography Information FY2008 
Task Progress: The four identical Stability kits were delivered to the ISS in July 2006 on-board during the STS-121/ULF1.1 mission. The first kit was returned to Earth during the STS-121/ULF1.1 mission. The second kit was returned after 11 months of exposure during the STS-117/13A mission in June 2007. The third kit is scheduled to be returned after 1 year and 7 months of exposure during the STS-122/1E mission in February 2008. The fourth kit will be returned on a future mission.

[Editor's note: Task added to Task Book in September 2009; information from ISS Station Science http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/experiments/Stability.html ]

Bibliography: Description: (Last Updated: 05/24/2023) 

Show Cumulative Bibliography
 
 None in FY 2008
Project Title:  Stability of Pharmacotherapeutics and Nutrition Compounds-Nutrition Reduce
Fiscal Year: FY 2006 
Division: Human Research 
Research Discipline/Element:
HRP SHFH:Space Human Factors & Habitability (archival in 2017)
Start Date: 10/01/2005  
End Date: 09/30/2009  
Task Last Updated: 09/17/2009 
Download report in PDF pdf
Principal Investigator/Affiliation:   Smith, Scott M Ph.D. / NASA Johnson Space Center 
Address:  Biomedical Research and Environmental Sciences Division/SK3 
2101 NASA Pkwy 
Houston , TX 77058-3607 
Email: scott.m.smith@nasa.gov 
Phone: 281-483-7204  
Congressional District: 36 
Web:  
Organization Type: NASA CENTER 
Organization Name: NASA Johnson Space Center 
Joint Agency:  
Comments:  
Co-Investigator(s)
Affiliation: 
Daniels, Vernie  Wyle Life Sciences 
Swart, Sara  Universities Space Research Association 
Perchonok, Michele  NASA Johnson Space Center 
Kloeris, Vickie  NASA Johnson Space Center 
Braby, Leslie  Texas A and M University 
Key Personnel Changes / Previous PI: NOTE: previously combined in project entitled Stability of Pharmacotherapeutics and Nutrition Compounds, with Scott Smith as PI and Lakshmi Putcha as Co-PI; split into two Task Book projects in January 2010 for the entire project period, per JSC direction, with each CoPI listed as PI (ed.)
Project Information: 
Responsible Center: NASA JSC 
Grant Monitor: Meck, J@n  
Center Contact: 281-244-5405 
janice.v.meck@nasa.gov 
Unique ID: 7626 
Solicitation / Funding Source: Directed Research 
Project Type: FLIGHT 
Flight Program: ISS 
TechPort: No 
No. of Post Docs:  
No. of PhD Candidates:  
No. of Master's Candidates:  
No. of Bachelor's Candidates:  
No. of PhD Degrees:  
No. of Master's Degrees:  
No. of Bachelor's Degrees:  
Human Research Program Elements: (1) SHFH:Space Human Factors & Habitability (archival in 2017)
Human Research Program Risks: None
Human Research Program Gaps: None
Flight Assignment/Project Notes: ISS Increments 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Task Description: Data gathered from past Space Shuttle missions suggest that some of the medications packed in the Shuttle's medical pack degrade even after relatively brief periods (less than 20 days) of space flight. The observed degradation included both physical and chemical characteristics of medicine formulations. The degradation was sufficient to influence FDA stipulated shelf-life for these formulations and may result in a loss of potency. Physical and chemical instability of medications could render treatments with degraded drugs ineffective for assurance of optimal crew health during long duration space exploration missions. An evaluation of subjective data on medications used by crewmembers during space flight indicated that eight percent of all treatments administered in the Space Shuttle program were reported ineffective. Pharmaceutical instability may modify effectiveness and safety, and is one possible cause of the ineffectiveness of treatments. Degradation of food products will also render them ineffective in providing health and energy sustenance. The stability of medications and foods used by the crew, therefore, must be adequate to facilitate safe exploration of space in the future. The Stability of Pharmacotherapeutic and Nutritional Compounds (Stability) investigation will evaluate mission critical medications and foods to understand issues relating loss of potency for medicines and to nutritional adequacy of foods in space.

See also http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/experiments/Stability.html

Research Impact/Earth Benefits: The results of this investigation will help understand the effects of adverse environments on food and medicines, this information will assist Earth based explorers make healthy choices for long term exploration of remote and adverse habitats like the Antarctic, arctic and the world oceans.

Task Progress & Bibliography Information FY2006 
Task Progress: New project for FY2006.

[Note: Task added 9/2009.]

Bibliography: Description: (Last Updated: 05/24/2023) 

Show Cumulative Bibliography
 
 None in FY 2006