Serum Carotenoids Reveal Poor Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Schoolchildren in Burkina Faso

The health benefits of fruits and vegetables are well-documented. Those rich in provitamin A carotenoids are good sources of vitamin A. This cross-sectional study indirectly assessed fruit and vegetable intakes using serum carotenoids in 193 schoolchildren aged 7 to 12 years in the Western part of Burkina Faso. The mean total serum carotenoid concentration was 0.23 ± 0.29 µmol/L, which included α- and β-carotene, lutein, and β-cryptoxanthin, and determined with serum retinol concentrations in a single analysis with high performance liquid chromatography. Serum retinol concentration was 0.80 ± 0.35 µmol/L with 46% of children (n = 88) having low values <0.7 µmol/L. Total serum carotene (the sum of α- and β-carotene) concentration was 0.13 ± 0.24 µmol/L, well below the reference range of 0.9–3.7 µmol carotene/L used to assess habitual intake of fruits and vegetables. Individual carotenoid concentrations were determined for α-carotene (0.01 ± 0.05 µmol/L), β-carotene (0.17 ± 0.24 µmol/L), β-cryptoxanthin (0.07 ± 0.06 µmol/L), and lutein (0.06 ± 0.05 µmol/L). These results confirm the previously measured high prevalence of low serum vitamin A concentrations and adds information about low serum carotenoids among schoolchildren suggesting that they have low intakes of provitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables

Vitamin A deficiency among rural primary school children : a still neglected group for vitamin A supplementation strategies

Background: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is still a public health problem across the globe and also in Burkina Faso, especially for under-five-years-old children. Since less information is available about the prevalence of VAD among the primary school children, this study aimed to study this area. Methods: A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted to assess the effect of high dose of vitamin A (VA) and daily zinc versus high dose of VA and daily zinc placebo (6 days per week) during four months among the primary school children. Of the total number of 200 school children, 100 were allocated to two random groups. Participants’ gender, age, weight, and height were measured, a blood smear was performed for malaria diagnosis, stool samples were collected for intestine parasites’ assessment, and blood samples were collected for haemoglobin and serum retinol measurement. Results: Baseline data of 183 school children were analysed and the findings showed that 20.6% of the school children were underweight (23.2% in girls vs. 16.5% in boys; P = 0.043). Anemia affected 36.2%, 39% had Plasmodium Falciparum, and 37.6% had intestine parasites. Furthermore, VAD prevalence was 46.1% (51.0% in boys vs. 41.2% in girls; P = 0,072). Conclusion: Among primary school children in the Western part of Burkina Faso, VAD is not only higher than other regions of the country, but also twice the critical level and defined as a severe public health problem by WHO. This result calls for action among the primary school children and recalls the importance of taking strategies against VAD among under-five-year-old children

Effet de la double supplémentation en vitamine A et en zinc sur le statut nutritionnel et les réserves hépatiques en vitamine A chez les enfants de 6 à 59 mois de Sourkoudougou

Nous avons évalué l’effet de la double supplémentation en vitamine A et en zinc sur le tatut nutritionnel des enfants à Sourkoudougou (district sanitaire de Dandé). Cent enfants âgés de 6 à 59 mois ont été inclus (mai – novembre 2009) dans le cadre d’un essai randomisé contrôlé en double aveugle testant l’effet de la supplémentation (6 mois après) en vitamine A plus zinc (VAZ) (n = 50) versus vitamine A plus placebo (VA) (n = 50) sur leur statut nutritionnel. Nous avons comparé les statuts en vitamine A, en zinc, et les paramètres anthropométriques, inter-groupes et intra-groupes, en utilisant des tests statistiques descriptifs pour échantillons indépendants et appariés. Après la supplémentation, 85,4 % (41/48) du groupe VA et 88,9 % (40/45) du groupe VAZ, avaient des réserves hépatiques en vitamine A insuffisantes, 6 mois après la prise de vitamine A (p = 0,760), tandis que 64,8 % (31/48) et 59,1 % (26/44) respectivement, avaient une carence en zinc (p = 0,580). L’étude a montré une baisse significative de l’insuffisance pondérale (p = 0,011) et du retard de croissance (p = 0,008) dans les groupes VA et VAZ. L’étude n’a pas pu montrer une amélioration du statut des enfants en vitamine A et en zinc bien qu’un gain de taille ait été enregistré dans le groupe zinc.Mots-clés : supplémentation, vitamine A, zinc, statut nutritionnel

Serum carotenoids reveal poor fruit and vegetable intake among schoolchildren in Burkina Faso

The health benefits of fruits and vegetables are well-documented. Those rich in provitamin A carotenoids are good sources of vitamin A. This cross-sectional study indirectly assessed fruit and vegetable intakes using serum carotenoids in 193 schoolchildren aged 7 to 12 years in the Western part of Burkina Faso. The mean total serum carotenoid concentration was 0.23 +/- 0.29 mu mol/L, which included alpha- and beta-carotene, lutein, and beta-cryptoxanthin, and determined with serum retinol concentrations in a single analysis with high performance liquid chromatography. Serum retinol concentration was 0.80 +/- 0.35 mu mol/L with 46% of children (n = 88) having low values <0.7 mu mol/L. Total serum carotene (the sum of alpha- and beta-carotene) concentration was 0.13 +/- 0.24 mu mol/L, well below the reference range of 0.9-3.7 mu mol carotene/L used to assess habitual intake of fruits and vegetables. Individual carotenoid concentrations were determined for beta-carotene (0.01 +/- 0.05 mu mol/L), beta-carotene (0.17 +/- 0.24 mu mol/L), beta-cryptoxanthin (0.07 +/- 0.06 mu mol/L), and lutein (0.06 +/- 0.05 mu mol/L). These results confirm the previously measured high prevalence of low serum vitamin A concentrations and adds information about low serum carotenoids among schoolchildren suggesting that they have low intakes of provitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables

Rétinol sérique versus techniques d’isotopes stables, dans l’évaluation du statut en vitamine A des enfants de 36 à 59 mois dans un milieu rural a endémie palustre du Burkina Faso

Introduction: Despite the existence of several diagnostic methods, the assessment of vitamin A (VA) status in children remains a challenge in localities where VA deficiency and infection coexist. The study aimed to assess the VA status in children 36-59 months of age living in rural malaria-endemic areas in Burkina Faso using stable isotope techniques compared to serum retinol, a technique commonly used in the diagnosis of VA deficiency. Material and methods: Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted during the dry and rainy seasons in the health area of the Sourkoudougou. They included 115 children of both sexes aged 36 to 59 months. VA status was assessed using serum retinol, liver reserves (LR) and total VA reserves (TLR). Results: The mean serum retinol concentration (standard deviation) was 0.83 (± 0.25) µmol/L and 27.19% of children had a serum retinol concentration 1.0 mol/L/g liver). Conclusion: This study shows, in this malaria-endemic locality, a difference in the prevalence of VA deficiency according to the test use

Chronic exposure to mycotoxins is not associated with vitamin A status in children of 36 – 59 months old living in a malaria-endemic rural area in Burkina Faso

Background: Exposures to environmental contaminants in the food supply, especially mycotoxins may be linked to micronutrient deficiencies through their potential role in inducing inflammation and altering absorption. Children in Burkina Faso are chronically exposed to mycotoxins in the food chain. We aim at investigating the relationship between serum concentrations in Aflatoxins AFB1 and AFB2 and vitamin A (VA) status in Burkinabe children aged 36-59 mo. Methods: Two cohort surveys were conducted in western Burkina Faso on a total sample of 115 children aged 36-59 mo during the dry and the rainy seasons. Blood samples were collected to assess VA status (serum retinol concentrations using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography; total liver reserve [TLR] and total body stores [TBS] using the 13C-retinol isotope dilution method), inflammation indicators (alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, AGP and C-reactive protein, CRP) and AFB1 and AFB2 by Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the association of VA status with potential predictors such as aflatoxins, and demographic, anthropometric, dietary variables in STATA. Results: Mean serum retinol was 0.83±0.25 µmol/l. Median TLR and TBS was 0.75 mol/g liver (IQ25-IQ75: 0.52 - 1.08) and 430 mol (289.9 - 620.6), respectively. 28% had TLR >1.0 mol/g liver and none had VA deficiency. TLR was significantly associated with baseline weight-for-height z-score and serum β-carotene (p<0.05), while TBS was significantly associated with AGP. Neither AFB1 nor AFB2 was associated with VA status. Conclusion: No association was found between exposure to mycotoxins and VA status in children with no VA deficiency