Biofortified Maize Improves Selenium Status of Women and Children in a Rural Community in Malawi: Results of the Addressing Hidden Hunger With Agronomy Randomized Controlled Trial

Frontiers in Nutrition

Dawd Gashu¹  Alexander A. Kalimbira¹  Scott D. Young¹  Felix P. Phiri¹  Gabriella Chiutsi-Phiri¹  Elizabeth Allen²  Hastings Manase³  Joanna Sturgess³  Elaine L. Ferguson³  Limbanazo Matandika³  Patson C. Nalivata⁴  Nicola M. Lowe⁵  Leonard Banda⁶  R. Murray Lark⁶  Elizabeth H. Bailey⁶  Edward J. M. Joy⁶  John C. Phuka⁶  Martin R. Broadley⁷  Zione Kalumikiza⁸  Jellita Gondwe⁹  Blessings H. Likoswe^1,10  Joseph Mfutso-Bengo^1,10  Alan D. Dangour^1,10  Kate Millar^1,10  Lucia Segovia de la Revilla^1,11  E. Louise Ander^1,11  Maja Niksic^1,11  Simon C. Langley-Evans^1,11 

[1] Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom;0UCLan Research Centre for Global Development, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom;Bunda College, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe, Malawi;Center for Food Science and Nutrition, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS, Ministry of Health, Lilongwe, Malawi;;Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene &Inorganic Geochemistry, Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, British Geological Survey, Nottingham, United Kingdom;National Nutrition Reference Lab, Community Health Sciences Unit, Public Health Institute of Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi;Natural Resources College, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe, Malawi;School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, United Kingdom;School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi;

关键词: selenium;    fertilizer;    nutrition;    agriculture;    biofortification;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fnut.2021.788096

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Background: Selenium deficiency is widespread in the Malawi population. The selenium concentration in maize, the staple food crop of Malawi, can be increased by applying selenium-enriched fertilizers. It is unknown whether this strategy, called agronomic biofortification, is effective at alleviating selenium deficiency.Objectives: The aim of the Addressing Hidden Hunger with Agronomy (AHHA) trial was to determine whether consumption of maize flour, agronomically-biofortified with selenium, affected the serum selenium concentrations of women, and children in a rural community setting.Design: An individually-randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted in rural Malawi. Participants were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive either intervention maize flour biofortified with selenium through application of selenium fertilizer, or control maize flour not biofortified with selenium. Participant households received enough flour to meet the typical consumption of all household members (330 g capita−1 day−1) for a period of 8 weeks. Baseline and endline serum selenium concentration (the primary outcome) was measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).Results: One woman of reproductive age (WRA) and one school-aged child (SAC) from each of 180 households were recruited and households were randomized to each group. The baseline demographic and socioeconomic status of participants were well-balanced between arms. No serious adverse events were reported. In the intervention arm, mean (standard deviation) serum selenium concentration increased over the intervention period from 57.6 (17.0) μg L−1 (n = 88) to 107.9 (16.4) μg L−1 (n = 88) among WRA and from 46.4 (14.8) μg L−1 (n = 86) to 97.1 (16.0) μg L−1 (n = 88) among SAC. There was no evidence of change in serum selenium concentration in the control groups.Conclusion: Consumption of maize flour biofortified through application of selenium-enriched fertilizer increased selenium status in this community providing strong proof of principle that agronomic biofortification could be an effective approach to address selenium deficiency in Malawi and similar settings.Clinical Trial Registration:http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN85899451, identifier: ISRCTN85899451.

【 授权许可】

Unknown