Proper nutrition is essential for good health, requiring a balanced diet and adequate micronutrient intake to ensure the immune system functions efficiently. Micronutrient deficiency weakens immunity and increases susceptibility to infections, morbidity, and mortality. Understanding the therapeutic potential of vegetables—specifically regarding bioactive phytochemicals (often classified as functional foods) and their nutritional value—reveals beneficial health effects that can be either preventive or therapeutic; key functional components include minerals such as iron, zinc, fluoride, calcium, and copper. This project focuses specifically on the minerals iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), which are indispensable for life and play vital roles in various biological processes necessary for the organism's proper functioning. The research is justified by the study titled "Study of iron and zinc as functional components in immune-restoring food mixtures as an alternative for the treatment and prevention of malnutrition in Cochabamba, Bolivia." Methodologically, the objectives included: selecting raw materials., formulating immune-restoring food mixtures for experimental and control diets; and biologically evaluating these mixtures using experimental animals (Wistar rats). Mineral analysis of the immune-restoring food mixtures, as well as analysis of the experimental animals' organs (liver, thymus) and femurs, was conducted using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (FAAS). Mineral analysis of the immune-restorative blends indicates good levels of iron, zinc, and calcium. The QCL blend stands out for its iron (8.58 mg) and calcium (142.45 mg) content, resulting from the combination of quinoa, cañahua, and powdered milk; the QAHH blend provides adequate zinc (4.89 mg) due to the inclusion of fava beans and beef liver; and the AAA blend—composed of amaranth, rice, oats, liver, and fava beans—shows iron and zinc levels similar to those of the other blends. In conclusion, the choice of ingredients directly influences the nutritional quality of the immune-restorative blends. Regarding mineral storage in the liver of experimental animals, the order was QCL > AAA > DP > QAHH for iron, and QAHH > AAA > QCL > DP for zinc; in the thymus, the order was AAA > QCL > QAHH > DP for iron, and QAHH > AAA > QCL > DP for zinc; and in the femur, the order was QCL > QAHH > AAA > DP for iron, and QCL > AAA > QAHH > DP for zinc. Overall, the results demonstrate effective storage of iron and zinc in the liver, thymus, and femur.
This study aimed to investigate food consumption patterns among children aged 6–24 months and characterize the physicochemical, biochemical and antinutritional properties of locally available foods that could be used to formulate complementary foods in Côte d’Ivoire. The study was conducted in Bouna, Man and Mankono, located in the Zanzan, Montagnes and Woroba regions, respectively, which are highly affected by chronic malnutrition. A quantitative survey involving 450 households was conducted, alongside food purchases in six markets, with two markets selected in each study area: one in the main town and one in a randomly selected surrounding village. The survey documented food consumption patterns among young children and informed the selection of locally available foods for laboratory analysis. Cereal-based porridges and cereals were among the most commonly consumed foods by children in the three study areas. Laboratory analyses included physicochemical assessments of pH and dry matter, biochemical determinations of protein, lipid and total fibre contents, and measurements of antinutritional factors, particularly phytates and oxalates. The results revealed significant differences in selected food characteristics across the study areas. Soumbala from Mankono had a significantly higher pH (p < 0.05). Dry matter contents were significantly higher in millet from Bouna (94.4 ± 0.01 g), white beans from Bouna (90.4 ± 0.03 g) and Mankono (90.8 ± 0.02 g), and Daloa rice from Man (91.4 ± 0.01 g). Phytate levels were also significantly higher in the local rice varieties from Man (p < 0.05). Overall, the findings highlight the importance of cereals in the diets of young children in the three study areas and identify locally available foods, including white beans, millet, sorghum and local rice, as potential ingredients for complementary food formulation. This study provides useful evidence to guide the selection of local food resources for developing complementary foods adapted to the dietary context of children aged 6–24 months in Côte d’Ivoire.
Dementia is a growing public health concern among older adults, and its progression is closely linked to dietary practices and nutritional status. In Kenya, dementia research has largely focused on prevalence, risk factors and caregiving burden, with limited attention paid to dietary practices and nutritional status among affected older adults. This study assessed dietary practices, nutritional status and the factors associated with poor nutritional status among older adults living with dementia in Homabay County, Kenya. A cross-sectional study design was used, involving 191 older adults living with dementia attending Homabay County Referral Hospital, sampled using purposive and simple random sampling. A researcher administered questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, dietary practices using a 24-hour dietary recall, Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) and Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and nutritional status using Body Mass Index (BMI) and the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF). Data was analyzed using SPSS version 29, with chi-square, Pearson correlation and binary logistic regression used to test associations. The mean age of participants was 74.3 ± 8.2 years. Only 11.5% of participants had a high dietary diversity score, and 70.2% did not meet their daily energy requirements. MNA-SF assessment showed that 48.7% of participants were at risk of malnutrition and 19.4% were malnourished. Binary logistic regression identified low dietary diversity (AOR = 3.87, p < 0.001), inadequate meal frequency (AOR = 2.96, p = 0.003), low energy intake (AOR = 2.63, p = 0.007), dependence on own farm produce as the main food source (AOR = 2.14, p = 0.029), and low household income (AOR = 1.89, p = 0.043) as independent factors associated with poor nutritional status. These findings show that dietary practices are strongly linked to the nutritional status of older adults living with dementia in this setting. Nutrition interventions targeting dietary diversity, meal frequency and household food security are recommended to improve the nutritional wellbeing of this vulnerable population.
Mucuna pruriens is a protein-rich underutilized legume with considerable potential for food and nutrition security, although its utilization is limited by high levels of antinutritional compounds. This study evaluated the effects of traditional Toubani processing on the physicochemical, mineral, and antinutritional composition of Mucuna pruriens . Five processing steps were investigated: raw Mucuna, dehulled Mucuna, soaked dehulled Mucuna, dried soaked Mucuna, and Toubani. Two independent processing batches were produced, and all analyses were performed in triplicate. The processing chain included dehulling, soaking, drying, milling, dough preparation, and steaming at 120°C for 60 min. Processing effects were assessed using Welch’s one-way ANOVA followed by Games-Howell post hoc comparisons (p ˂ 0.05). The final product retained a high protein content (25.0 g/100 g dry matter) and appreciable concentrations of calcium (624.3 mg/100 g), magnesium (344.8 mg/100 g), potassium (1503.9 mg/100 g), and iron (11.8 mg/100 g). Processing substantially reduced antinutritional factors, with L-DOPA decreasing from 6680 to 94.7 mg/100 g (98.6%), tannins from 8.75 to 0.34 mg TAE/g (96.2%), trypsin inhibitor activity from 40.2 to 13.8 TIU/mg protein (65.7%), phytates from 22.7 to 13.1 mg/100 g (42.3%), and oxalates from 443.6 to 282.1 mg/100 g (36.5%). Hydrogen cyanide was completely eliminated. Pearson correlation and principal component analyses revealed a progressive compositional change from antinutrient-rich raw seeds to a product with reduced toxicological risk and improved nutritional characteristics. Nevertheless, residual phytate, oxalate, and trypsin inhibitor levels remained above proposed target thresholds, suggesting that further process optimization may enhance detoxification. Overall, traditional Toubani processing effectively reduced major antinutritional compounds while preserving nutritional quality, highlighting its potential for valorising Mucuna pruriens as a sustainable protein-rich food for West African populations.
This study concerns the consumption of small ruminant meats in households and outside the home in the city of Abéché. The surveys were conducted among 100 families, 75 out-of-home consumers, 25 butchers and 25 livestock sellers. The data collected included the profile of consumers, consumption patterns, preferences of species, socio-economic factors impacting the demand and perceived effects of urbanization and population growth. The results show that the consumption of small ruminant meat is predominantly concentrated among a young group of economically active males. 68% of families consume it daily and 65.3% outside the home. Consumption frequency is high. The most valued meat is that of sheep, both at home (81%) and away from home (87.67%). In families, the consumption declines with the rise in the number of family members, going from 5.3 ± 0.6 Kg per month for households of 1 to 3 people to 3.5 ± 2.02 Kg for those with more than 10 persons. In contrast, outside the household, consumption increases with income from 0.9 Kg/month for incomes less than 100,000 FCFA to 2.63 Kg/month for incomes more than 200,000 FCFA. Taste is the most important criterion for meat choice (50% homes, 84% outside the home). The study also found that 93% of those surveyed think consumption has increased over the previous ten years and 99% consider that urbanization has a direct impact on demand. These results show the increasing importance of small ruminant meat in the urban food habits of Abéché and the necessity to better organize the supply chain.
