The role of changing diet and altitude on goitre prevalence in five regional states in Ethiopia

Objective: Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) as one of the leading nutritional problems has been increasing through time due to iodine deficiency; aggravating factors and IDD knowledge in many parts of Ethiopia. The effect of changing diet and altitude on goitre prevalence is assessed. Methodology: Randomly selected five regional states (Amhara; Oromiya; Tigray; SNNP and Benshangul-Gumuz) were used to conduct cross-sectional study on IDD. In each region cluster sampling method was applied to select study subjects. Low land and adjacent high land were independently sampled to investigate the role of altitude on goiter prevalence. Totally 6960 children and the same number of biological mothers of the children were included in the clinical examination for goiter and household interview. Urine samples were collected from children for urinary iodine examination/analysis (UIE). Besides; in all clusters qualitative data were collected on IDD knowledge and cassava introduction; cultivation and consumption. Results: Cassava consumption and living in high altitude were found to be risk factors for IDD. In the two regions (SNNP and Benshangul-Gumuz) among three where cassava is cultivated; those who consume cassava frequently were significantly (p0.001) affected by goitre than those consuming rarely or not. In the last thirty years cassava consumption has been increasing with the concomitant increase in goitre rate and other associated health problems. Acute cyanide intoxication in children from cassava meal was reported. In Amhara region; goitre rate was significantly (p0.05) higher in high altitudes than in low both for children and mothers. This was due to significantly (p0.01) low level of iodine intake in high lands than in low as indicated by UIE. Due to stigma; parents do not send goitrous children to schools and goitrous girls are not wanted for marriage. Conclusion: Besides low level of iodine intake; cassava consumption and living in high altitude were responsible for the observed variation and severity in goitre rates. IDD affects several dimensions of human life including school enrolment and marriage. Addressing IDD in-terms of salt iodization and training communities on cassava processing techniques to remove cyanide; awareness creation on IDD and soil conservation are highly recommended

Elimination of Cyanique from Cassava Roots Grown in Congo; Case of bitter Variety Ngamanza : Kinetic and Thermodynamic Studies

Kinetic and thermodynamic studies on the elimination of cyanique from cassava roots habe been undertaken using the soaking process. One variety of cassava grown in Congo has been using. The argentometric method was used to monitor and quantify the appearance of cyanide in water. Kinetic constants indicate that (a) potentially toxic concentrations of cyanide are reduce to safer limits in less than three days soaking; and (b) the elimination is faster when fresh sample is used as raw materials at higher temperatures. The values of the equilibrium constants and free energy show that the elimination of cyanique from cassava roots is (a) a spontaneous process and (b) controlled by the entropic factor; in compensation promoting efficiently the fast elimination of cyanide from cassava

The Bioload and Aflatoxin Content of Market Garri from some Selected States in Southern Nigeria: Public Health Significance

Background: Garri is consumed by several millions of people in the West African sub-region and in Nigeria in particular regardless of ethnicity and socio-economic class. How- ever production and handling methods have not been standardized resulting in a product with varying quality and safety indices hence varying public health concern. Objec- tives: To investigate the microbial contamination level; presence; prevalence and distribution of Aflations B1; B2; G1 and G2 in market garri with the aim of developing useful indices for safe handling and acceptable public health standards. Methods: A total of 300 samples comprising of 30 samples each from various market in both urban and rural settings were randomly collected using sterile polyethylene bags. These were analysed for microbiological quality and aflatoxins content using standard procedures. Results: Eight bacteria genera (Bacillus; Staphylococcus; Streptococcus; Pseudomonas; Clostridium; Salmonella Klebsiella and Coliforms groups) genera and six fungi genera (Asper- gillus; Penicillium; Rhizopus; Botrytls; Fusarium and Cladosporium) were detected and isolated. Aflatoxins B1; B2; G1 and G2 were detected in varying concentrations amongst the samples analysed within and amongst the states investigated with an average occurrence rate of 17.5Conclusion: Market garri was found to contain high bioload with vast array of micro-organisms and Aflatoxins in all the states investigated. Results are useful in developing and establishing public health standards for the production and safe handling of garri

Processing of cassava roots to remove cyanogens: short communication

A simple equation is developed between the total cyanide contents of cassava root parenchyma and the processed product with the percentage retention of cyanide on processing. This equation is applied to different methods of processing used worldwide. Thus to produce cassava flour to 10 mg HCN equivalents/kg flour (PPM); the WHO safe level; by sun drying or heap fermentation requires starting with sweet cassava containing 12-32 ppm total cyanide. In an average year only 14 per cent of flour samples in our study areas in Nampula Province of Mozambique had total cyanide contents of 10 ppm. Distribution curves of flour total cyanide show that the percentage of samples exceeding 100 ppm total cyanide increased from 6 per cent in an average year to 43-65 per cent in a low rainfall year; when cases of konzo also occurred. Processing methods used to produce farinha in Brazil and gari in West Africa reduce the total cyanide content to less than one eighth of that using heap fermentation and less than one sixteenth of that using sun drying. Heap fermentation and sun drying; commonly used in eastern and southern Africa; do not adequately remove cyanide in a normal year and are hopeless inadequate when used on cassava grown during drought. New and greatly improved processing methods are urgently needed. The high levels of cyanide intake in central; eastern and southern Africa from high cyanide flour are most likely cause of konzo in young people and the very long term consumption of gari of lower cyanide content in West Africa is the most likely cause of TAN in order people

Short Paper - Effect of Acid Treatment on the Consolidation and Plasto-Elasticity of Tapioca Powder

PURPOSE: The effects of treating the tapioca (the fibrous residue obtained after up to 90 percent of the proportion of starch has been removed from the peeled and rasped roots of cassava tubers powder with dilute solutions of hydrochloric acid) in order to find an approach for rendering an otherwise poorly compressible material to a directly compressible powder. METHOD: The parameters measured were the degree of consolidation of the powder after compression (i.e. the packing fraction of resulting tablets); the plasto-elasticity of the powders as reflected by the brittle fracture index (BFI) of the tablets made from the powders and the viscosities of mucilages derived from the powders. The influence of time of exposure and the concentration of acid used in the treatment were studied. RESULTS: The degree of consolidation of the powder increased slightly with increase in duration of exposure to acid (24 - 72 h) but drastically with increase in the acid concentration from 0.1 to 0.4 mol. L**-1. On the other hand; the plasto-elasticity of the powders as measured by the BFI values and the viscosities of mucilages derived from the powders decreased slightly with duration of exposure but drastically with increase in acid concentration. A change in acid concentration was therefore the more determinant factor with regards to the consolidation and plasto-elasticity properties of the powders. The decrease in the viscosities of the mucilages following acid treatment of the powders was indicative of a breakdown of polymeric structure in the powder CONCLUSION: Acid treatment of tapioca powder imparted plasticity in tapioca powder which became compressible

Epidemiological evidence from Zaire for a dietary etiology of konzo, an upper motor neuron disease

A clear association between seasonal outbreaks of a paralytic disease called konzo and toxic effects from consumption of insufficiently processed bitter cassava roots has been demonstrated in Bandundu region, Zaire. A community-based survey of 6764 inhabitants identified 110 live and 24 dead konzo-affected persons with a history of isolated non-progressive spastic paraparesis of abrupt onset. The start of these annual outbreaks of konzo in 1974 coincided with the completion of a new tarmac road to the capital, which facilitated the transport of cassava and made it the main cash crop. The extensive cassava sales encouraged the consumption by the peasant families of roots that had not been adequately processed; frequent acute cyanide intoxications resulted when the naturally occurring cyanogens in the roots were eaten. The disease mainly appeared in the dry season when there was high consumption of insufficiently processed cassava and the diet lacked supplementary foods with sulfur-containing amino acids which promote cyanide detoxification. These results, which confirm the earlier findings in East Africa, show that, owing to the high cyanide and low sulfur dietary intake, there is an increased risk of konzo outbreaks in cassava-growing areas during periods of adverse agro-economic changes

Epidemiological evidence from Zaire for a dietary etiology of konzo, an upper motor neuron disease

A clear association between seasonal outbreaks of a paralytic disease called konzo and toxic effects from consumption of insufficiently processed bitter cassava roots has been demonstrated in Bandundu region, Zaire. A community-based survey of 6764 inhabitants identified 110 live and 24 dead konzo-affected persons with a history of isolated non-progressive spastic paraparesis of abrupt onset. The start of these annual outbreaks of konzo in 1974 coincided with the completion of a new tarmac road to the capital, which facilitated the transport of cassava and made it the main cash crop. The extensive cassava sales encouraged the consumption by the peasant families of roots that had not been adequately processed; frequent acute cyanide intoxications resulted when the naturally occurring cyanogens in the roots were eaten. The disease mainly appeared in the dry season when there was high consumption of insufficiently processed cassava and the diet lacked supplementary foods with sulfur-containing amino acids which promote cyanide detoxification. These results, which confirm the earlier findings in East Africa, show that, owing to the high cyanide and low sulfur dietary intake, there is an increased risk of konzo outbreaks in cassava-growing areas during periods of adverse agro-economic changes

The use of fermented and germinated cereals and tubers for improved feeding of infants and children in Uganda

Interviews with mothers in 4 ecologically separate regions of Uganda (Arua; Mukono; Kabale and Mbarara) revealed considerable differences in patterns of infant and child feeding in health and during diarrhoea. There was considerable enthusiasm for the use of fermentation and germination of cereals and tubers in some areas (Arua 87pc and Kabale 90pc). These household food processes were especially recommended for improving dietary intake during diarrhoea. However; these techniques were not used by mothers in Mukono or Mbarara. The advantages of these procedures and possible reasons for differences in their popularity are discussed