Vitamin E status in oedematous and non-oedematous malnourished children - abstract

ABSTRACT

The antioxidant function of vitamin E is essential for maintaining the integrity of cell membranes. During the early phase of recovery from severe malnutrition, we measured the plasma levels of Vitamin E in 58 children on admission (A), and after metabolic recovery (B). A total of 19 marasmic children, and 34 with oedematous malnutrition (19 with marasmic-kwashiorkor and 15 with kwashiorkor) were studied. A further group of 5 oedematous children who were clinically assessed as extremely sick received daily vitamin E supplements. The children were all fed on the same dietary regimen. The results indicated that although vitamin E intake was greater in the non-oedematous (marasmic) children, the rate of change of concentration in the plasma did not differ between the two groups. This could possibly be attributed to a difference in the absorption or utilization of the vitamin between the groups. In the group receiving supplements, there was a significant increase in plasma vitamin E concentration between A and B. However, the rate of increase and the concentration at B did not differ from that in the two groups of unsupplemented children. We conclude that in malnourished children (1) plasma viatmin E levels are low on admission, (2) values normalize by time B, and (3) supplementation with alpha-tocopherol in oil did not affect the rate of increase in plasma vitamin E. The supplement did not seem to be bioavailable (AU)