Relationship between serum aflatoxin concentrations and the nutritional status of children aged 6-24 months from Zambia.

In Zambia, mothers/caregivers feed their children cereal-based complementary foods that are prone to aflatoxin contamination. This study evaluated the relationship between exposure to aflatoxins and the nutritional status of young children. It covered 400 mothers with children aged 6-24 months. Their nutritional status assessed by measuring weight and height using standard procedures. Serum samples analysed for aflatoxin B1-lysine (AFB1-lys), a reliable biomarker of aflatoxin exposure. Child sickness and age, exposure to aflatoxin in foods, and albumin-normalised AFB1-lys level were found to be significantly (p < .05) associated with child stunting except for child age that was not significant at p = .05. Children with an increase in the blood serum aflatoxin B1 lysine adduct are more likely to be stunted. These results have shown that dietary exposure to aflatoxin could lead to an increase in serum aflatoxin concentrations, both of which are associated with stunting.

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) for food security: an evaluation of end-user traits of improved varieties in Swaziland.

Improved varieties have agronomic advantages over local varieties,but not much attention has been given to understand the nutritional content of the improved cowpea varieties released in Swaziland. This study investigated the physical and nutritional properties of improved cowpea varieties released in Swaziland. Five improved varieties (IT-04K-321-2, IT-97K-390-2, IT-18, IT-16, and IT-99K-494-6) and one local variety (Mtilane, as check) were analyzed for physical and chemical properties. The results showed that there were variations in seed weight as the values ranged between 12.5 and 18.5 g per 100 g seed weight. The protein content ranged from 25.38% to 27.56% with no significant difference (P < 0.05) between the improved varieties  and the local variety, ash content ranged between 3.47 and 6.84%, crude fiber was between 5.81 and 15.08%, and carbohydrate ranged from 45.64 to 57.12%.  Contents of calcium ranged from 9 to 36 mg/100 g and of iron from  2.0 to 2.4 mg/kg, with significant differences (P < 0.05)  between the varieties with highest and the lowest values. Zinc content ranged from 7 mg/kg to 8 mg/kg, with no significant difference (P >0.05) among the varieties. The improved varieties have high seed weight, which is an essential factor that farmers consider when choosing a variety to adopt. In terms of addressing nutritional security, the crop is suitable for addressing protein-energy malnutrition and formulating blends for baby foods in Swaziland.

Nutrient and aflatoxin contents of traditional complementary foods consumed by children of 6-24 months.

The nutrient composition and safety of complementary foods have recently become areas of concern, especially with regard to aflatoxin contamination which has been found to adversely affect health outcomes. This study presents the nutrient and aflatoxin contents of complementary foods consumed by children (6-24 months) and infants and young child feeding practices of mothers from two districts in eastern and southern Zambia. A total of 400 mother-child pairs were recruited from Monze and Chipata districts, and data on breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices were collected twice at 3-month interval using a structured questionnaire. Samples of two traditional complementary foods (Maize Nshima and Maize porridge) were collected from the mothers and analyzed for nutrient contents and aflatoxin contamination. The results showed that there is a high level of awareness on exclusive breastfeeding among mothers. Fat, protein, carbohydrate, and ash contents of Maize nshima from Chipata were significantly lower (p < .05) compared to those from Monze district except for starch and sugar. Monze mothers preferred to prepare a thicker Maize nshima and Maize porridge compared to their Chipata counterparts. The aflatoxin contamination showed that the Maize porridge samples from Chipata were the most contaminated with mean aflatoxin content of 5.8 ± 15.93 mg/100 g, while Maize nshima was the most contaminated of the two complementary foods from Monze districts with mean aflatoxin level of 3.8 ± 6.41 mg/100 g. There were significant (p < .05) positive correlations between fat and aflatoxin contents for Chipata samples (r = .12409) and for Monze samples (r = .13666). The traditional complementary foods studied were found to be low in fat and protein and high in aflatoxin contamination. Thus, it is imperative that best practices and interventions are designed and introduced to reduce the possible lethal health implications of consumption of such complementary foods by children under 5 years.