Compliance with Home-based Fortification Strategies for Delivery of Iron and Zinc: Its Effect on Haematological and Growth Markers among 6-24 months Old Children in North India.

Compliance is a key component in successful implementation of the delivery of micronutrients among children. The present study evaluates the compliance with two home-based food fortification strategies (fortified complementary food or sprinkle) for providing iron and zinc among children aged 6-24 months. A total of 292 children were randomly allocated to receive either rice-based fortified complementary food and nutrition education (Cf=101), sprinkle and nutrition education (Mp=97), or nutrition education alone as control (Ed=94). All the enrolled children were breastfed at the beginning of the study and were advised to continue breastfeeding. Biweekly information on compliance and anthropometry was collected. Complete haemogram estimation was conducted at baseline and end of the study. Compliance with the fortified complementary food was higher compared to sprinkle (Cf=81%, Mp=64% child-days). Consumption of the fortified complementary food for 6 months resulted in a significant increase in mean haemoglobin in the intervention group compared to control group (Cf 1.29±1.6 g/dL; Ed 0.23±1.3 g/dL; p<0.001). Our results showed that fortified complementary food had higher compliance than sprinkle and is a suitable delivery mechanism for iron and zinc in preschool children.

Zinc Deficiency: Descriptive Epidemiology and Morbidity among Preschool Children in Peri-urban Population in Delhi, India.

Community-based data relating to factors influencing zinc deficiency among preschool children in India are inadequate. Data of a large, double-blinded, randomized, controlled zinc-supplementation trial were used for assessing the descriptive epidemiology of zinc deficiency among children aged 6-35 months (n=940). In total, 609 children were followed up for 120 days for information on morbidity. Of these children, 116 from the control group belonging to the upper and the lower 25th quartile of plasma zinc status at baseline were selected for assessing the association of zinc deficiency with prospective morbidity. At baseline, demographic, socioeconomic and dietary information was collected, and anthropometric measurements and levels of plasma zinc were assessed. At baseline, 73.3% of the children were zinc-deficient (plasma zinc <70 μg/dL), of which 33.8% had levels of plasma zinc below 60 μg/dL. A significantly higher risk of morbidity was prevalent among the subjects with lower plasma zinc compared to those with higher levels of plasma zinc.

Protective effect of Withaferin-A on tumour formation in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene induced oral carcinogenesis in hamsters.

With an aim to investigate the protective effect of Withaferin-A on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) induced oral carcinogenesis in Syrian golden hamsters, tumour incidence, tumour volume and tumour burden and status of detoxication agents, lipid peroxidation and antioxidants in DMBA administered (3 times/week for 14 weeks) hamsters were assessed. Hundred percent tumour formation in DMBA alone administered animal was observed. Oral administration of Withaferin-A (20 mg/kg body weight) to DMBA administered animals for 14 weeks completely prevented the tumour incidence, tumour volume and tumour burden. Also, Withaferin-A showed significant anti-lipid peroxidative and antioxidant properties and maintained the status of phase-I and phase-II detoxication agents during DMBA-induced oral carcinogenesis. The results thus indicate that the protective effect of Withaferin-A is probably due to its anti-lipid peroxidative and antioxidant functions as well as modulating effect on carcinogen detoxication during DMBA-induced oral carcinogenesis.

Effect of zinc added to multi-vitamin supplementation containing low-dose vitamin A on plasma retinol level in children--a double-blind randomized, controlled trial.

In a community-based double-blind randomized trial in children aged 6-35 months, both intervention and control groups received a multi-vitamin syrup containing vitamin A, while the intervention group had zinc gluconate (equivalent to 10 mg of elemental zinc) additional in the syrup. There was a significant decrease in diarrhoea and pneumonia in the intervention group. This study was undertaken to investigate if addition of zinc to vitamin A had improved plasma retinol levels, which, in turn, was responsible for the effects observed in the intervention group. In a randomly-selected subsample of 200 children--100 each from the intervention and the control group, plasma retinol levels after 120 days of supplementation were measured. There was no difference in the mean plasma retinol levels [the difference in the mean 0.46 microg/dL (95% confidence interval -1.42-2.36)] between the two groups following supplementation. No difference in plasma retinol levels was observed in the subgroups based on base-line nutritional status and plasma zinc levels. Addition of zinc to low-dose vitamin A in this study did not improve the vitamin A status of children and cannot explain morbidity effects of the intervention.

Validation of visual estimation of portion size consumed as a method for estimating food intake by young Indian children.

In this observational study, estimation of food intake was evaluated using recording of portion size consumed, instead of post-weighing, as a method. In total, 930 feeding episodes were observed among 128 children aged 12-24 months in which actual intake was available by pre- and post-weighing. For each offering and feeding episode, portion size consumed was recorded by an independent nutritionist-as none, less than half, half or more, and all. Using the pre-weighed offering, available intake was estimated by multiplying portion sizes by the estimated weight. The estimated mean intake was 510.4 kilojoules compared to actual intake of 510.7 kilojoules by weighing. Similar results were found with nestum (52.0 vs 56.2 g), bread (3.8 vs 3.7 g), puffed rice (1.7 vs 1.9 g), banana (31.3 vs 24.4 g), and milk (41.6 vs 44.2 mL). Recording portion size consumed and estimating food intake from that provides a good alternative to the time-consuming and often culturally-unacceptable method of post-weighing food each time after a feeding episode.

Protective effect of hesperidin on nicotine induced toxicity in rats.

Nicotine administration (2.5 mg/kg of body weight, sc, 5 days a week for 22 weeks) enhanced lipid peroxidative indices (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and hydroperoxides) accompanied by a significant increase in the marker enzymes alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase and elevated levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids and free fatty acids in Wistar rats. There was a significant protection by hesperidin administration at different doses (25, 50, 75, 100 and 150 mg/kg body weight) in nicotine-treated rats. However, the effect of hesperidin was more significant at 25mg/kg dose. The results suggest that hesperidin exerts the protective effects by modulating the extent of lipid peroxidation. The results are supported by histopathological observations of lung, liver and kidney.

Effect of carnitine administration on levels of lipid peroxides and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats.

The effect of carnitine administration on levels of lipid peroxide and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase was studied in rats administered isoproterenol to induce myocardial infarction. Levels of fatty acid were lower in rats pretreated with carnitine at the peak period and given isoproterenol than the levels in isoproterenol-treated control rats. Lipid peroxides were decreased in the heart at peak infarction in carnitine-treated rats compared to the levels in isoproterenol-treated controls. Activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase showed no change in carnitine-treated animals given isoproterenol compared to those in normal control rats, while they decreased in animals treated with isoproterenol alone.