A New Dietary Supplement Based on Bovine Blood: Recovering Brazilian Children from Malnutrition.

ABSTRACT

Two compounds ("Prothemol" and "Plasmel"), based on bovine blood as source of high quality-protein, were tested as supplement for malnourished children. Prothemol is a powder containing desiccated bovine red cells, with 23.32 g% protein and 18.8 mg% iron, without any limiting amino acid. Plasmel (a syrup) contains 44.7% bovine plasma, 54.3% saccharose and 1500 IU% retinol. Children, 32-60 month old, from a day-nursery service in Recife, Brazil, received Prothemol + Plasmel for 90 (n = 14) or 180 days (n = 8). When compared to age-matched control children (n = 12 and n = 6, respectively), they presented significantly higher increments in weight and height, and in some haematological parameters. Clinical signs associated to malnutrition (faces suggesting suffering or sadness; brightnessless eyes; apathy; reduced mobility; reduced communication with their classmates and adults) were found in 12 treated children (85.7%) and in 9 controls (75%). Recovery from these signs begun after 51 ± 20.6 and 103.5 ± 14.6 days, for the treated and control groups, respectively (P < 0.05) and occurred in 100% of the treated children and in 67% (6 of 9 children) in the controls. We suggest that Prothemol + Plasmel is an effective dietary supplement to help treating malnutrition in children, recovering them from clinical signs indicative of improving neural functions.