Impact of nutritional and multiple micronutrients supplementation to lactating mothers 6 months postpartum on the maternal and infant micronutrient status: a randomised controlled trial in Delhi, India.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of nutritional and multiple-micronutrient supplementation to lactating mothers on the micronutrient status of mother-infant dyad at 6 months of age postnatally. DESIGN: This study was a trial that aimed to investigate the impact of maternal nutritional supplementation on infant growth. A secondary objective was to assess the effect on the micronutrient status of mother-infant pairs. The intervention group mothers received snacks with 600 kcal energy, 20 g protein and daily micronutrient tablets. SETTING: Blood samples were collected from both mothers and infants at 6 months. PARTICIPANTS: The participants in this study were mother-infant pairs. The micronutrient status of these pairs was assessed through blood samples, focusing on vitamins A, D, B12, ferritin, Zn and folate. RESULTS: Micronutrient analysis of serum samples from 600 mother-infant pairs showed that mothers in the intervention group had higher levels of serum ferritin (mean difference (MD) 14·7 ng/ml), retinol (MD 0·6 µmol/l), folate (MD 3·3 ng/ml) and vitamin D (1·03 ng/ml) at 6 months postpartum. Additionally, the supplementation was associated with a higher mean ± sd of serum ferritin (MD 8·9 ng/ml) and vitamin A (MD 0·2 µmol/l) levels in infants at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: The study found that supplementing maternal nutrition with additional dietary and micronutrient intakes during lactation improved maternal micronutrient status and slightly increased ferritin and vitamin A levels in infants at 6 months. The findings highlight the importance of nutritional interventions for improving the micronutrient health of mother-infant pairs, with significant public health implications.Trial registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (CTRI/2018/04/013095).

Both Zn biofortification and nutrient distribution pattern in cherry tomato plants are influenced by the application of ZnO nanofertilizer.

A pot experiment was conducted to determine the influence of commercial nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) at different doses for use as nanofertilizer on nutrient uptake and its distribution in cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L var. cerasiforme) plants in an acidic (soil pH 5.5) and calcareous soil (soil pH 8.5) from the Mediterranean area. We determined crop yield; macro- (N, P, K, Mg, S and Ca) and micro-nutrient (B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Na and Zn) concentrations in the different parts of the crop (root, stem, leaves and tomato fruits) and the extent of nutrient translocation to the aerial part of the plant. The concentrations of macronutrients N, P, K and Mg in tomato fruits grown in both soils can be considered adequate in terms of nutritional requirements. However, the Ca concentration in tomato fruits grown in the calcareous soil did not reach the required concentration to be considered sufficient. This effect was related to the characteristics of this calcareous soil. Although different concentrations of ZnO-NPs did not affect Fe and Na concentrations in tomato fruit, B concentration in tomato fruits increased with the application of ZnO-NPs. In addition, Cu concentration decreased with the application of ZnO-NPs compared to treatments without any Zn application (Nil-ZnO NP) in the calcareous soil. Manganese concentrations decreased with ZnO-NPs application in both soils. The effect of the application of ZnO-NPs depends on soil characteristics. Zinc applied as a nanofertilizer in the form of ZnO-NPs can be used to increase the crop yield and to obtain an adequate Zn biofortification in cherry tomato crop. The Zn concentrations in tomato fruits reached ranges of 4.5-4.8 mg Zn kg-1 in the acidic soil and 2.5-3,5 mg Zn kg-1 in the calcareous soil. Nutrient concentrations in these fruits following biofortification are adequate for human consumption.

Review of the Impact Pathways of Biofortified Foods and Food Products.

Biofortification is the process of increasing the concentrations and/or bioavailability of micronutrients in staple crops and has the potential to mitigate micronutrient deficiencies globally. Efficacy trials have demonstrated benefits of consuming biofortified crops (BFCs); and in this paper, we report on the results of a systematic review of biofortified crops effectiveness in real-world settings. We synthesized the evidence on biofortified crops consumption through four Impact Pathways: (1) purchased directly; (2) in informal settings; (3) in formal settings; or (4) in farmer households, from their own production. Twenty-five studies, covering Impact Pathway 1 (five studies), Impact Pathway 2 (three), Impact Pathway 3 (three), Impact Pathway 4 (21) were included. The review found evidence of an improvement in micronutrient status via Impact Pathway 4 (mainly in terms of vitamin A from orange sweet potato) in controlled interventions that involved the creation of demand, the extension of agriculture and promotion of marketing. In summary, evidence supports that biofortified crops can be part of food systems interventions to reduce micronutrient deficiencies in farmer households; ongoing and future research will help fully inform their potential along the other three Impact Pathways for scaling up.

Factors associated with longitudinal changes in B-vitamin and choline concentrations of human milk.

BACKGROUND: Little is known regarding the associations between maternal factors and B-vitamin and choline concentrations in early milk and the trajectories of these vitamins during lactation. OBJECTIVES: In this hypothesis-generating study, we modeled the association between maternal and offspring factors and longitudinal changes in milk B-vitamin and choline concentrations throughout lactation. METHODS: A hundred women were studied in a prospective birth cohort and milk samples from 52 women were collected at 2-8 d, 76 women at 28-50 d, and 42 women at 88-119 d postpartum. Maternal dietary intake during pregnancy and lactation was assessed by an FFQ. Linear mixed-effects models with interaction terms were used to evaluate changes in milk B-vitamin and choline concentrations over time based on maternal factors and the early postpartum concentrations of these micronutrients. RESULTS: The women with higher early postpartum milk concentrations of niacin (ßinteraction = -0.02; SE = 0.00; P < 0.001), pantothenic acid (ßinteraction = -0.10; SE = 2.56; P < 0.001), vitamin B-12 (ßinteraction= -0.10; SE = 0.03; P < 0.001), and choline (ßinteraction= -0.90; SE = 0.18; P < 0.001) exhibited a decrease in their concentrations throughout lactation. The participants with overweight and obesity prepregnancy experienced an increase in milk vitamin B-12 concentrations over time (ßinteraction = 0.04; SE = 0.02; P = 0.06). In contrast, a decrease in vitamin B-12 concentration was observed among women with vitamin B-12 intake below the RDA during pregnancy (ßinteraction= -0.08; SE = 0.05; P = 0.07). The women with niacin intake below the RDA during lactation experienced an increase in milk concentrations over time (ßinteraction = 0.01; SE = 0.01; P = 0.03). A gestational age at birth >40 wk was associated with an increase in milk choline concentration throughout lactation (ßinteraction = 0.54; SE = 0.16; P< 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Changes in B-vitamin and choline concentrations in human milk over time may be associated with the early concentrations of these micronutrients in milk, maternal prepregnancy BMI, dietary intake, and gestational age at delivery.

Genome-Wide Association Study for Grain Micronutrient Concentrations in Wheat Advanced Lines Derived From Wild Emmer.

Wheat is one of the important staple crops as the resources of both food and micronutrient for most people of the world. However, the levels of micronutrients (especially Fe and Zn) in common wheat are inherently low. Biofortification is an effective way to increase the micronutrient concentration of wheat. Wild emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides, AABB, 2n = 4x = 28) is an important germplasm resource for wheat micronutrients improvement. In the present study, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to characterize grain iron, zinc, and manganese concentration (GFeC, GZnC, and GMnC) in 161 advanced lines derived from wild emmer. Using both the general linear model and mixed linear model, we identified 14 high-confidence significant marker-trait associations (MTAs) that were associated with GFeC, GZnC, and GMnC of which nine MTAs were novel. Six MTAs distributed on chromosomes 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A, and 7B were significantly associated with GFeC. Three MTAs on 1A and 2A were significantly associated with GZnC and five MTAs on 1B were significantly associated with GMnC. These MTAs show no negative effects on thousand kernel weight (TKW), implying the potential value for simultaneous improvement of micronutrient concentrations and TKW in breeding. Meanwhile, the GFeC, GZnC and GMnC are positively correlated, suggesting that these traits could be simultaneously improved. Genotypes containing high-confidence MTAs and 61 top genotypes with a higher concentration of grain micronutrients were recommended for wheat biofortification breeding. A total of 38 candidate genes related to micronutrient concentrations were identified. These candidates can be classified into four main groups: enzymes, transporter proteins, MYB transcription factor, and plant defense responses proteins. The MTAs and associated candidate genes provide essential information for wheat biofortification breeding through marker-assisted selection (MAS).

Association of maternal diet, micronutrient status, and milk volume with milk micronutrient concentrations in Indonesian mothers at 2 and 5 months postpartum.

BACKGROUND: Maternal micronutrient deficits during preconception and pregnancy may persist during lactation and compromise human milk composition. OBJECTIVE: We measured micronutrient concentrations in human milk and investigated their association with maternal micronutrient intakes, status, and milk volume. METHODS: Infant milk intake (measured via a deuterium dose-to-mother technique), milk micronutrient and fat concentrations, and maternal micronutrient intakes were assessed at 2 and 5 mo postpartum in 212 Indonesian lactating mother-infant pairs. Maternal hemoglobin, ferritin, transferrin receptors, retinol binding protein (RBP), zinc, selenium, and vitamin B-12 were measured at 5 mo (n = 163). Multivariate or mixed effects regression examined associations of milk micronutrient concentrations with maternal micronutrient intakes, status, and milk volume. RESULTS: Prevalence of anemia (15%), and iron (15% based on body iron), selenium (2.5%), and vitamin B-12 deficiency (0%) were low compared with deficiencies of zinc (60%) and vitamin A (34%). The prevalence of inadequate intakes was >50% for 7 micronutrients at 2 and 5 mo. Median milk concentrations for most micronutrients were below reference values, and nearly all declined between 2 and 5 mo postpartum and were not associated substantially with milk volume (except for ß-carotene, α-carotene, and ß-cryptoxanthin). At 5 mo postpartum, associations between maternal micronutrient status and corresponding milk concentrations reported as mean percentage difference in human milk concentration for each unit higher maternal biomarker were significant for hemoglobin (1.9%), iron biomarkers (ranging from 0.4 to 7%), RBP (35%), selenium (70%), and vitamin B-12 (0.1%), yet for maternal intakes only a positive association with ß-carotene existed. CONCLUSIONS: Most milk micronutrient concentrations declined during lactation, independent of changes in human milk production, and few were associated with maternal micronutrient intakes. The significant associations between maternal biomarkers and milk micronutrient concentrations at 5 mo warrant further study to investigate whether the declines in milk micronutrients are linked to shifts in maternal status.

Micronutrient intakes of lactating mothers and their association with breast milk concentrations and micronutrient adequacy of exclusively breastfed Indonesian infants.

BACKGROUND: Breast milk is the sole source of nutrition for exclusively breastfed infants in the first 6 mo of life, yet few studies have measured micronutrient concentrations in breast milk in light of maternal diet and subsequent infant micronutrient intakes. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the adequacy of micronutrient intakes of exclusively breastfed Indonesian infants by measuring milk volume and micronutrient concentrations and assessed maternal micronutrient intakes and their relationship with milk concentrations. METHODS: Mother-infant (2-5.3 mo) dyads (n = 113) were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Volume of breast-milk intake via the deuterium dose-to-mother technique over 14 d and analyzed micronutrient concentrations were used to calculate micronutrient intakes of exclusively breastfed infants. Maternal 3-d weighed food records were collected to assess median (IQR) micronutrient intakes. Multivariate regression analyses examined the association of usual maternal micronutrient intakes with milk micronutrient concentrations after adjustment for confounding variables. RESULTS: Mean ± SD intake of breast-milk volume was 787 ± 148 mL/d. Median daily infant intakes of iron, zinc, selenium, magnesium, sodium, and B-vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, B-6, and B-12) were below their respective Adequate Intakes. Inadequacies in maternal intakes (as % < estimated average requirements) were >40% for calcium, niacin, and vitamins A, B-6, and B-12. Significant positive associations existed between maternal usual intakes of vitamin A, niacin and riboflavin and milk retinol, nicotinamide, and free riboflavin concentrations in both unadjusted and adjusted (for infant age, milk volume, and parity) analyses (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of micronutrient intakes for these exclusively breastfed infants and their mothers fell below recommendations, with associations between maternal intakes and breast-milk concentrations for 3 nutrients. Data on nutrient requirements of exclusively breastfed infants are limited, and a better understanding of the influence of maternal nutritional status on milk nutrient concentrations and its impact on the breastfed infant is needed.