ABSTRACT
Objectives: There are no data which provide information on the current prevalence of VAD at the national and regional levels in Ethiopia. The 2014 Ethiopia National Micronutrient Survey (ENMS) will provide these estimates among children 6-59 months old and non-pregnant women 15-49 years of age in Ethiopia. Methods: The ENMS is a cross-sectional household survey designed to produce national and regionally representative estimates of vitamin A deficiency. The retinol concentration of venous blood serum will be determined by HPLC. Mild VAD will be defined as a serum retinol concentration <0.70 μmol/L and severe VAD as <0.35 μmol/L. Acute phase proteins alpha-1-acidglycoprotein (AGP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) will be measured by immunoassay technique to account for the effects of inflammation when interpreting VAD. Results: The national and regional prevalence of vitamin A deficiency will be presented among children 6-59 months and non-pregnant women 15-49 years of age with and without inflammation in Ethiopia. Conclusions: This survey will provide national and regional data for vitamin A supplementation and fortification programs in Ethiopia.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: The objective of the study was to collect Moringa stenopetala (M. stenopetala) samples from 19 locations all over Ethiopia to generate a national data on its nutritional profile Methods: Fresh green Moringa stenopetala (M. stenopetala) leaf samples obtained from farming area in different provinces in Ethiopia were dried and physicochemical analysis was carried out employing AOAC methods of analysis. Results: The samples collected had a mean value of 8.09%, 28.44%, 0.7%, 11.62%, 12.63%, 38.49%, 274Kcal of moisture, protein, fat, crude fiber, ash, carbohydrate and energy respectively. Moreover, the samples had a mean value of 54.85 mg/100gm, 1,918 mg/100gm, 2.16 mg/100gm, 0.78 mg/100gm, 38.19 mg/100gm, 2,094 mg/100gm and 214.10 mg/100gm of Fe, Ca, Zn, Cu, P, K and Na respectively. The mean value of the anti-nutritional factors analyzed – phytate and tannin – was 378.44 mg/100gm and 358.89 mg/100gm, respectively. There has been a statistically significant difference in the mean values of all nutrition composition parameters between study regions– Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR and Dire Dawa – except for tannin content of the samples. Conclusions: These finding reveals that M. stenopetala species of Moringa tree in Ethiopia has appreciable nutritional profile which can be of a great input to fight the long overdue malnutrition problem in Ethiopia.