Vitamin A Fortification Quality Is High for Packaged and Branded Edible Oil but Low for Oil Sold in Unbranded, Loose Form: Findings from a Market Assessment in Bangladesh.

Although mandatory fortification of oil with vitamin A is efficacious, its effectiveness can be compromised by suboptimal compliance to standards. In this study, we assessed (1) the availability of oil brands across the eight divisions of Bangladesh, (2) fortification quality (the extent to which vitamin A content is aligned with fortification standards) of oil brands and producers and (3) the market volume represented by available edible oil types. We visited different retail outlets in rural and urban market hubs to ascertain available oil brands and bulk oil types and collected samples. We used high-performance liquid chromatography to quantify average vitamin A content and compared them to the national oil fortification standards. Among the 66 packaged brands analyzed, 26 (39%) were not fortified, and 40 (61%) were fortified, with 28 (42%) fortified above the standard vitamin A minimum. Among the 41 bulk oil type composites analyzed, 24 (59%) were not fortified, and 17 (41%) were fortified, with 14 (34%) fortified below and 3 (7%) fortified above the standard minimum. Vitamin A fortification is high for packaged and branded edible oil but low for oil sold in unbranded, loose form. As bulk oil makes up a large proportion of the oil market volume, this means the majority of the oil volume available to the population is either not (25%) or fortified below the standard requirement (39%). Regulatory inspections of producers selling bulk oil should be prioritized to support and incentivize the industry to make all oil traceable and fortified to standard.

Study protocol to assess the impact of an integrated nutrition intervention on the growth and development of children under two in rural Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: The period from birth to two years is the "critical window" for achieving optimal growth and development. An inadequate quality and quantities of complementary foods, poor child-feeding practices and infection negatively impact the growth of under-twos. Approximately one-third of under-fives in developing countries are stunted; many are also micronutrient deficient. An estimated 6% of mortalities among under-fives can be prevented by ensuring optimal complementary feeding. The objective of the study was to assess the ability of a 12-month integrated nutrition intervention to improve the nutritional status (length-for-age Z-score) of 6 to 12-month-old children in rural Bangladesh. METHODS: In this community-based randomized controlled trial, the intervention group received a package of interventions that includes, food vouchers; to prepare egg-based nutritious snacks (suji firni for < 1-year-olds, suji halwa for > 1-year-olds), micronutrient powder to fortify children's food at home, child feeding counselling and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), behaviour change communication. The control group received routine health messages provided by the government. Baseline and endline surveys were conducted; Data collection was performed monthly on children's growth, food voucher utilization, child feeding and morbidity. In addition, we assessed the cognitive development of the children after 12 months of intervention. CONCLUSION: This trial aims to explore whether an integrated nutrition intervention can mitigate childhood stunting during the critical window of opportunity in rural Bangladesh. The results may provide robust evidence to improve the linear growth of children in developing countries. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was retrospectively registered on August 17, 2018 and is available online at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT02768181).

Effectiveness of micronutrient-fortified rice consumption on anaemia and zinc status among vulnerable women in Bangladesh.

Micronutrient deficiency is one of the biggest public health concerns in Bangladesh. As per World Health Organisation (WHO) in the 2016 report, 40% women of reproductive age suffer from anaemia. According to the National Micronutrient Survey 2011-2012, 57% women suffer from zinc deficiency. The objective of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of fortified rice (FFR in addressing anaemia and zinc deficiency among vulnerable women. Baseline and endline surveys were conducted among female Vulnerable Group Development (VDG) beneficiaries in five districts in Bangladesh before and after 12 months of FFR distribution. The intervention group received 30 kg FFR; the control group received 30 kg non-FFR for every month from January 2013 to December 2013. The sample sizes were 870 women (435/group) at baseline and 800 (400/group) at endline. Difference-in-difference (DID) was estimated to measure the effect of FFR on anaemia and serum zinc. In the baseline survey, 39% of the FFR group and 34% of the non-FFR group had anaemia. At endline, 34% of women in the FFR group were anaemic compared to 40.7% in the non-FFR group. At endline, prevalence of anaemia was reduced in the FFR group by 4.8% but increased in the non-FFR group by 6.7%. The DID estimation showed the reduction in anaemia after 12 months of FFR consumption was significant (p = 0.035). The DID in mean haemoglobin level after 12 months of FFR consumption was also statistically significant (p = 0.002). Zinc deficiency decreased by 6% in the FFR group at endline, though the DID was not significant. Most of the respondents of the FFR group reported that they received their entitled rice on a regular basis however only half of the non-FFR respondents received every month in 12 months. Anaemia was significantly associated with not consuming fortified rice, geographical region, older age and heavy menstrual bleeding (P<0.05). FFR reduced anaemia and zinc deficiency prevalence. Replacement of regular rice with FFR in the VGD programme is recommended to reduce anaemia among vulnerable groups.

Impact assessment of leaf pigments in selected landscape plants exposed to roadside dust.

Continuous addition of undesired effluents to the environment affects foliar surface of leaf, changes their morphology, stomata, photosynthetic pigments, and biochemical constituents which result in massive damage due to persistent nature of the pollutant. In persistent hostile environment, plants fail to grow and develop, and the effects are often extensive. In current study, landscape plants were exposed to different levels of road dust to analyze the effect on various photosynthetic pigments. Dry roadside sediments were collected through a vacuum pump and passed through filters to get fine particles less than 100 µm and sprinkled on Euphorbia milii (EM), Gardenia jasminoides (GJ), and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (HRs) by using a hand pump, twice daily at T1 (control), T2, T3, and T4 (0, 2, 4, and 6 g/plant, respectively) for a period of 3 months in green house. Road sediment significantly reduces leaf pigments in landscape plants population and the effects were more severe in high level of dust deposition. Individual response of EM, GJ, and HRs to different levels of road dust was variable; however, road sediment significantly reduces leaf pigments at high dose of roadside dust deposition. EM plants exposed to 2 g/plant roadside dust showed higher chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, total chlorophyll, chlorophyllide-b, and polar carotenoid contents as compared to GJ and HRs. Leaf chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, total chlorophyll, carotenoid, and polar carotenoid contents of EM were higher than GJ and HRs in T3 and T4 treatments. However HRs showed significantly higher protochlorophyllide, chlorophyllide-a, and pheophytin-b contents of leaf in T4 group. EM was found as tolerant landscape plant followed by HRs. GJ was most vulnerable to road dust stress. Present study concludes that the entire biosynthesis of leaf pigments is in chain and interlinked together where effect of road dust on one pigment influences other pigments and their derivatives. Salient features of the present study provide useful evidence to estimate roadside dust as a major risk factor for plant pigments, and plants in green belt along roadside suffer retarded growth and fail to establish and develop.

Antibacterial activity of crude methanolic extract and various fractions of Vitex agnus castus and Myrsine africana against clinical isolates of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is a nosocomial pathogen that resides in the soft tissues causing many diseases. The current study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Methicillin Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in ear discharge and pus of patients and antibacterial activity of crude methanolic extract (Cr. MeOH Ext.) and various fractions of M. Africana and V. agnus castus against clinical isolates of MRSA. A total of 40 samples were collected from ear, nose and throat (ENT) outpatient department and wards of Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), Peshawar. Out of 40 samples, 36 (90%) samples showed growth on Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) media out of which 9(25%) were MRSA and the remaining 27(75%) were methicillin susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). A good antibacterial activity was observed for the Cr. MeOH Ext. (76.1%) and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of V. agnus castus against S11 (71.4%). The n-hexane fraction also showed good antibacterial effect (70%) against S26. The chloroform (CHCl3), butanol (BuOH) and aqueous fractions of M. africana showed good antibacterial activity against S11 (71.4%), S32 (70%) and S26 (75%), respectively. The above results revealed that the selected plants can be further utilized for isolation of the active ingredients as the crude extracts were found good for inhibition of MRSA.

The dietary supplementation of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) delayed the loss of climbing ability in Drosophila model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons and the aggression of alpha Synuclein (αS) in the brain. Drosophila mutants and transgenes have provided a platform to understand the mechanistic insight associated with the degenerative diseases. A number of polyphenols have been reported to inhibit the αS aggregation resulting in the possible prevention of PD. The involvement of free radicals in mediating the neuronal death in PD has also been implicated. In the present study, the effect of Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) was studied on the climbing ability of the PD model Drosophila expressing normal human alpha synuclein (h-αS) in the neurons. These flies exhibit locomotor dysfunction as the age progresses. NDGA at final concentration of 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, and 1µl/ml was supplemented with the diet and the flies were allowed to feed for the 24 days. NDGA at 0.01 µl/ml did not showed any significant delay in the loss of climbing ability of PD model flies. However, NDGA doses at 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 µl/ml showed a dose dependent significant (p < .05) delay in the loss of climbing ability of PD model flies as compared to the untreated PD flies. The results suggest that the NDGA is potent in delaying the climbing disability of PD model flies and also supports the utility of this model in studying PD symptoms.

Antigenotoxic effect of the Plumbago zeylanica extract against the genotoxic damage induced by potassium canrenoate in cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes.

In India, natural preparations derived from the plants are widely use for the treatments of various diseases. Hence, it becomes necessary to assess the modulating action of the plant extract when associated with other substances. Potassium canrenoate (PC) is a synthetic steroid and is used in the treatment of hypertension. It is not only a genotoxic agent, but also a tumor-initiating agent. In the present study, the effect of various doses (i.e., 5, 10, 20, and 30 µM) of PC were studied for their genotoxic effects in the presence of S9 mix in cultured human lymphocytes, using mitotic index, chromosomal aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges, and replication index as parameters. PC was found to be genotoxic at 20 and 30 µM. Treatment of 30 µM of PC was given along with different doses of Plumbago zeylanica extract (i.e., 107.5, 212.5, 315, and 417 µg/mL) of the culture medium. A dose-dependent decrease in the genotoxic effects of PC was observed. The result suggested that the plant extract per se does not have genotoxic potential, but can modulate the genotoxicity of PC in cultured human lymphocytes.

Anticlastogenic effect of apigenin in human lymphocytes treated with ethinylestradiol.

In the present study the antigenotoxic effect of apigenin was studied against a genotoxic dose of ethinylestradiol using the damage parameters of chromosomal aberrations (CAs), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and cell cycle kinetics (CCK). Human peripheral blood lymphocytes were cultured and treated with 10 microM of ethinylestradiol along with doses of 5, 10, 15 and 20 microM of apigenin. A clear decrease in the genotoxic damage induced by ethinylestradiol was observed with increasing doses of apigenin, suggesting a protective role for apigenin during ethinylestradiol therapy.

Assessment of cell viability, lipid peroxidation and quantification of DNA fragmentation after the treatment of anticancerous drug mitomycin C and curcumin in cultured human blood lymphocytes.

Mitomycin C (MMC) is an antineoplastic agent used to fight a number of different cancers including cancer of the stomach, colon, rectum, pancreas, breast, lung, uterus, cervix, bladder, head, neck, eye and oesophagus. It is a potent DNA cross-linker. The prolonged use of the drug may result in permanent bone marrow damage and other various types of secondary tumors in normal cells. The toxic effect of anticancerous drugs may be reduced if supplemented with natural antioxidants/plant products. With this view, the effect of 5, 10 and 15 microM of curcumin was studied against the genotoxic doses of MMC, i.e. 10 and 20 microM, in cultured human lymphocytes using cell viability, lipid peroxidation and DNA damage quantification as parameters. The treatment of curcumin with MMC results in a significant dose-dependent increase in cell viability and decrease in lipid peroxidation and DNA damage suggesting a protective role of curcumin against the anticancerous drug mitomycin C.

Impact of pilot project of Rural Maintenance Programme (RMP) on destitute women: CARE, Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: The rate of malnutrition among women in Bangladesh is high, but historically there has not been a specific program focusing on the improvement of the nutritional status of Bangladeshi women. OBJECTIVE: To observe changes in the nutritional status of destitute women of the Rural Maintenance Programme (RMP) by incorporating a health and nutrition intervention package with RMP ongoing activities. METHODS: An intervention study involving 1,275 poor destitute women was conducted from July 2004 to June 2005 in 17 districts in Bangladesh under two field offices, Mymensingh and Jessore, covering 8 and 9 districts, respectively. The respondents were divided into intervention, comparison, and control groups. All participants in the intervention and comparison groups were paid as part of the RMP and received weekly 30-minute nutrition interventions for 7 weeks in addition to routine training. The comparison group also received RMP training. The control group consisted of women with similar demographic characteristics to the intervention and comparison groups who did not receive pay or any intervention. The intervention was a unique combination of the three components of the UNICEF triangle model (food security, caring practices, and disease control). Data on socioeconomic and anthropometric characteristics, immunization, and vitamin A capsule intake were also collected with the use of a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: After the intervention, the mean body weight had significantly increased by 1,333 g in the intervention group and had decreased by 277 g in the control group and 147 g in the comparison group. The body mass index of women in the intervention group had also significantly increased at the end of the study (p < .001). There was a significant increase in the intake of iodized salt in the intervention group as well as increased immunization coverage in all groups. Intake of the first vitamin A capsule by children increased (from 60% to 97%) in the intervention group only. CONCLUSIONS: The nutrition pilot intervention was highly effective in improving the nutritional status of women in the RMP.

Antigenotoxic effect of nordihydroguaiaretic acid against chlormadinone acetate-induced genotoxicity in mice bone-marrow cells.

Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), a phenolic lignan, was tested for its antigenotoxic potential against chlormadinone acetate (CMA)-induced genotoxic damage in mice bone-marrow cells. Doses of about 22.50 mg/kg body weight of CMA were given along with 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg body weight of NDGA intraperitoneally. The treatment resulted in the reduction of sister chromatid exchanges and chromosomal aberrations induced by CMA, suggesting an antigenotoxic potential of NDGA. Earlier studies show that CMA generates reactive oxygen species, responsible for genotoxic damage. The free radical-scavenging property of NDGA is responsible for the reduction of genotoxic damage induced by CMA in mice bone-marrow cells.

Antigenotoxic role of Centella asiatica L. extract against cyproterone acetate induced genotoxic damage in cultured human lymphocytes.

The majority of the Indian population use traditional natural preparations derived from plant material for the treatment of various diseases, and for that reason it becomes necessary to assess the mutagenic potential or modulating action of plants extract when associated with other substances. The genotoxicity testing provides human a risk assessment. Earlier in vitro and in vivo studies reveal that the plant extracts from various parts of the plant play a modulating role in xenobiotic effects. Identification and characterization of some active principles may lead to the development of the strategies to reduce the risk for developing cancer in humans. Cyproterone acetate (CPA), a synthetic progestin is not only a genotoxic agent but also a tumor initiating agent. It is used in oral contraceptives formulations and also in the treatment of various sexual and metabolic disorders. In this context, the antigenotoxic effect of Centella asiatica L. extract was studied against the genotoxic effect induced by CPA on human lymphocytes using chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges as parameters. The treatment of the two doses of CPA, i.e. 20 and 30 microM was given along with the C. asiatica extract at the dosages of 1.075 x 10(-4), 2.125 x 10(-4), 3.15 x 10(-4) and 4.17 x 0(-4)g/ml of culture medium. A clear dose dependent decrease in the genotoxic damage of CPA was observed, suggesting a protective role of C. asiatica extract during CPA therapy. The results of the present study suggest that the plant extract per se do not have genotoxic potential, but can modulate the genotoxicity of CPA on human lymphocytes in vitro.

Possible modulating action of plant infusion of Ocimum sanctum L. on chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges induced by chlormadinone acetate in human lymphocytes in vitro.

Chlormadinone acetate (CMA) is a synthetic progesterone analogue. It has its usage in oral contraceptives formulations and also for estrous synchronization of animals. The aim of the present study is to study the anti- genotoxic activity of the plant infusion against the CMA induced genotoxic damage on cultured human lymphocytes, using chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges (SCFs) as parameters. For chromosomal aberration analysis, the treatment of 40 microM of CMA was associated with 4.33% abnormal metaphases. The treatment of 40 microM of CMA, separately with 1.075 x 10(-4), 2.125 x 10(-4) and 3.15 x 10(-4) gm l(-1) of plant infusion results in the reduction of the number of abnormal metaphases i.e. 2.67%, 2.00% and 1.67% respectively. For sister chromatid exchange analysis, the frequency of sister chromatid exchange per cell (SCE(S)/Cell) for the treatment of 40 microM of CMA was 6.43. The treatment of 40 microM of CMA, separately with 1.075 x 10(-4), 2.125 x 10(-4) and 3.15 x 10(-4) gm l(-1) of plant infusion results in the significant reduction of the frequency of SCE(S)/Cell i.e. 3.76, 3.01 and 2.94, respectively, as compared to the CMA (40 microM) treatment alone (6.43). The used dosages of plant infusion did not increase chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges at significant level as compared to the untreated. The results of the present study suggest that the plant infusion per se does not have genotoxic potential, but can modulate the genotoxicity of chlormadinone acetate in human lymphocytes in vitro.

Anti-genotoxic effect of Ocimum sanctum L. extract against cyproterone acetate induced genotoxic damage in cultured mammalian cells.

The anti-genotoxic effect of Ocimum sanctum L. extract was studied against the genotoxic effect induced by a synthetic progestin cyproterone acetate, on human lymphocytes using chromosomal aberrations, mitotic index, sister chromatid exchanges and replication index as a parameters. About 30 microM of cyproterone acetate was treated with O. sanctum L. infusion, at dosages of 1.075 x 10(-4), 2.125 x 10(-4) and 3.15 x 10(-4) g/ml of culture medium. A clear dose-dependent decrease in the genotoxic damage of cyproterone acetate was observed, suggesting a possible modulating role of the plant infusion. The results of the present study suggest that the plant infusion per se does not have genotoxic potential, but can modulate the genotoxicity of cyproterone acetate on human lymphocytes in vitro.