The influence of supplementary feeding by local food and 123 milk toward increasing the nutritional status of 12-24 months children with undernutrition status in southeast Sulawesi province, Indonesia.

Background: Until now, the case of energy protein malnutrition in children is still high in Indonesia. Kendari city, one of the areas in Indonesia with high prevalent of this disease, has a significant increase which risen from 9.2% in 2006 to 15.1% in 2007. Methods: This was an experimental study that was under taken for 30 days. Sample of research was undernutrition children 12-24 months age that came from Puskesmas Puuwatu area and Perumnas in Kendari City that collected by simple random sampling technique. 16 children under five in the Puskesmas Puuwatu area received local food intervention and 16 children in the area of Puskesmas Perumnas received 123 Milk intervention. Results: There was significant difference in the Mean of body weight differences before and after intervention between children group that was given Local food and 123 Milk (p=0,032. Analysis with using paired t test indicated the differences between Z-Score value with BW/A and BW/H index before and after treatment in the children group that received local food intervention (p=0,000). In the children group that received 123 Milk intervention, the analysis result of Z-Score value with BW/A index before and after intervention indicated that there was not any significant difference (p=0,084), while the analysis of Z-Score value of BW/H index before and after intervention indicated the existence of significant different (p=0,000). The analysis that used independent t test did not indicated the significant difference of Z-Score value with BW/A and BW/H index after the intervention between children group that received Local food and 123 Milk intervention. Independent t-test analysis toward difference Mean of Z-score value with BW/A index indicated that there was significant difference between children group that received Local food and 123 Milk intervention (p=0,025). Analysis result toward difference Mean of Z-Score value with BW/H indicated the existence of significant difference between two group of intervention (p=0,028). Conclusions: Supplementary feeding by local food has better result in the increasing of body weight and Z-Score value than the giving of 123 Milk.

Zinc supplementation could modulate T cell to maintain interleukin-2 level in seropositive contact of leprosy patients.

Background: WHO classified the number of leprosy cases in Indonesia as number three in the world after India and Brazil. The number of new leprosy patients tends to increase since there is a possibility that seropositive leprosy is turning into manifest leprosy. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of zinc supplementation on interleukin-2 (IL-2) level of seropositive contact of leprosy patients with marginal zinc deficiency. Methods: Twenty two subjects aged 20-40 years were recruited for this study. The zinc-supplemented group received 40 mg elemental Zn/d orally for 3 months. Seropositive leprosy was determined by examining IgM anti Phenolic Glycolipid–1 level and concentration of IL-2 in lymphocyte cell culture supernatant fluid were measured by Elisa method. Results: The IL-2 concentration in the subject in the zinc group was relatively not changed (p= 0.721), whereas that in placebo group tended to be significantly lower (p= 0.025) at the end of the study. Conclusion: There was a significant change of IL-2 level between both groups (p= 0.037).