Bechoff, Aurelie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8141-4448, Akomo, Peter, Muleya, Molly, Tsaousis, Anastasios, Nikolaou, Charoula ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6519-4174, Utume, Laura Nguoron, Schneider, Aviv, Khalaf, Mona, Reifen, Ram and Monsonego-Ornan, Efrat (2024) Local high-protein, plant-based ready-to-use therapeutic food enhances recovery from malnutrition in rats. bioRxiv: The Preprint Server for Biology. (In Press) (doi:10.1101/2024.11.22.624820)

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PDF (Preprint) 48754 BECHOFF_Local_High-Protein_Plant-Based_Ready-To-Use_Therapeutic_Food_Enhances_Recovery_From_Malnutrition_In_Rats_(PREPRINT)_2024.pdf - Accepted Version Download (505kB) | Preview

Abstract

Infant child malnutrition is a major public health issue. We conducted a preclinical study with young rats to mimic the conditions of child malnutrition (combined wasting and stunting) and evaluate recovery using a novel plant-based ready-to-use-therapeutic food (RUTF) formulation. Three-week old female Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to six treatments groups in a 6 week experiment. The treatments included: 1) control balanced diet (CT), 2) A protein deficient diet to induce malnutrition (MN), 3) and 4) A control balanced diet followed by either commercial RUTF (CT-PM) or a locally produced plant-based RUTF (CT-ChSMS), and 5) and 6) a protein deficient diet followed by either commercial RUTF (MN-PM) or locally produced plant based RUTF (MN-ChSMS), respectively. In treatments 3-6, rats were initially fed either a control-balanced or protein-deficient diet for 3 weeks, followed by 3 weeks of either the commercial or the locally plant-based RUTF. Results showed that rats in the CT-ChSMS group exhibited growth and weight comparable to CT group, while those in the MN-PM group showed no significant improvement compared to the MN group. Notably, rats in the MN-ChSMS group demonstrated significant catch-up growth, whereas those in the MN-PM group did not. Additionally, consumption of ChSMS and PM RUTFs differed significantly. ChSMS RUTF which contained 14% protein over total energy with better amino-acid composition and a higher Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), resulted in significantly greater weight gain and length compared to PM RUTF, which contained 10% protein over total energy. These findings indicate that a locally produced, culturally acceptable and affordable plant-based RUTF formulated with high protein quality and quantity may be effective in treating acute and chronic malnutrition in children.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	therapeutic food, recovery, malnutrition, rats
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General) R Medicine > R Medicine (General) S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Centre for Food Systems Research Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Centre for Food Systems Research > Food Systems & Nutrition
Last Modified:	06 Dec 2024 14:14
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/48754

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