Effectiveness of unconditional cash transfers combined with lipid-based nutrient supplement and/or behavior change communication to prevent stunting among children in Pakistan: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Background In Pakistan, the prevalence of stunting among children under-five years has remained above WHO critical thresholds (≥30%) over the last two decades. Objective We hypothesized that an unconditional cash transfer (UCT) combined with lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) and/or social and behavior change communication (SBCC) will prevent stunting among children 6-23 months of age. Design This was a four-arm, community-based cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in the district of Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan. A total of 1729 children (UCT n = 434); (UCT+SBCC n = 433); (UCT+LNS n = 430) and (UCT+LNS+SBCC n = 432) were enrolled at 6 months of age and measured monthly for 18 months until the age of 24 months. Results At 24 months of age, children who received UCT+LNS (rate ratio [RR], 0.85 [95% CI 0.74, 0.97]; P = 0.015); and UCT+LNS+SBCC (RR, 0.86 [95% CI 0.77, 0.96]; P = 0.007) had significantly lower risk of being stunted as compared to the UCT arm. No significant difference was noted among children who received UCT+SBCC (RR, 1.03 [95% CI 0.91, 1.16]; P = 0.675) in the risk of being stunted as compared to the UCT arm. The pooled prevalence of stunting among children 6-23 months was 41.7%, 44.8%, 38.5% and 39.3% in UCT, UCT+SBCC, UCT+LNS and UCT+LNS+SBCC, respectively. In pairwise comparisons, a significant impact on stunting among children in UCT+LNS (P = 0.029) and UCT+LNS+SBCC (P = <0.001) was noted as compared to UCT arm. Conclusions UCT combined with LNS and UCT+LNS+SBCC were effective in reducing the prevalence of stunting among children aged 6-23 months in marginalized populations. UCT+SBCC was not effective in reducing the child stunting prevalence. Clinical trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03299218

Immunogenicity of an oral rotavirus vaccine administered with prenatal nutritional support in Niger: A cluster randomized clinical trial

Background Nutritional status may play a role in infant immune development. To identify potential boosters of immunogenicity in low-income countries where oral vaccine efficacy is low, we tested the effect of prenatal nutritional supplementation on immune response to 3 doses of a live oral rotavirus vaccine. Methods and findings We nested a cluster randomized trial within a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized efficacy trial to assess the effect of 3 prenatal nutritional supplements (lipid-based nutrient supplement [LNS], multiple micronutrient supplement [MMS], or iron–folic acid [IFA]) on infant immune response (n = 53 villages and 1,525 infants with valid serology results: 794 in the vaccine group and 731 in the placebo group). From September 2015 to February 2017, participating women received prenatal nutrient supplement during pregnancy. Eligible infants were then randomized to receive 3 doses of an oral rotavirus vaccine or placebo at 6–8 weeks of age (mean age: 6.3 weeks, 50% female). Infant sera (pre-Dose 1 and 28 days post-Dose 3) were analyzed for anti-rotavirus immunoglobulin A (IgA) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The primary immunogenicity end point, seroconversion defined as ≥3-fold increase in IgA, was compared in vaccinated infants among the 3 supplement groups and between vaccine/placebo groups using mixed model analysis of variance procedures. Seroconversion did not differ by supplementation group (41.1% (94/229) with LNS vs. 39.1% (102/261) with multiple micronutrients (MMN) vs. 38.8% (118/304) with IFA, p = 0.91). Overall, 39.6% (n = 314/794) of infants who received vaccine seroconverted, compared to 29.0% (n = 212/731) of infants who received placebo (relative risk [RR]: 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.18, 1.57, p < 0.001). This study was conducted in a high rotavirus transmission setting. Study limitations include the absence of an immune correlate of protection for rotavirus vaccines, with the implications of using serum anti-rotavirus IgA for the assessment of immunogenicity and efficacy in low-income countries unclear. Conclusions This study showed no effect of the type of prenatal nutrient supplementation on immune response in this setting. Immune response varied depending on previous exposure to rotavirus, suggesting that alternative delivery modalities and schedules may be considered to improve vaccine performance in high transmission settings. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02145000.

Correction: Martinez-Fernandez et al. Seasonal and Nutrient Supplement Responses in Rumen Microbiota Structure and Metabolites of Tropical Rangeland Cattle. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 1550

We have found one inadvertent error in our paper published in Microorganisms [...]

Effects of Textile Effluent Fertilization on Germination, Growth and Metabolites of Chilli (Capsicum annum) Cultivars

Nutrients deficiency in soil suppresses crop growth, yield and nutritional value of the products. Textile effluent, a rich source of several essential minerals (Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, etc.) required for the plant growth, could be a vital option to supplement minerals to accomplish the nutrient availability of soil. Although presence of some toxic metals and organic compound restrict its use as irrigation water, its controlled use as fertilizer was not studied so far. This study was undertaken to assess the eco-friendly utilization method of textile industry effluent by applying the same into chilli (Capsicum annum L.) cropping system for its suitability and potentiality as macro and micronutrient supplement. Result of the experiment showed no inhibitory effect of textile effluent on seed germination, while its fertilization as soil drench worked as nutrient supplement for growth in chilli cultivars. Textile effluent fertilization enhances plant biomass up to 124.47% and 110.85% in chilli cultivar GVC-101 and GVC-121, respectively. Total carbohydrate and foliar protein was also favoured by effluent fertilization. Lower RSR and least proline accumulation suggested reduced stress due to textile effluent fertilization. Study concluded that the lower dose of textile effluent fertilization can function as nutrient supplement with chilli cultivars and 20% (v/v) dilution provide most favourable results.

Rethinking the bioavailability and cellular transport properties of S-adenosylmethionine

S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is a versatile metabolite that participates in a wide range of reactions such as methylation and transsulfuration. These capabilities allow SAM to influence cellular processes such as gene expression and redox balancing. The importance of SAM is highlighted by its widespread usage as an over-the-counter nutrient supplement and as an experimental reagent in molecular biology. The bioavailability and cellular transport properties of SAM, however, are often overlooked under these contexts, putting limits on SAM’s therapeutic potential and complicating the interpretation of experimental results. In this article, we examined the chemical stability and cellular permeability of SAM, proposed a schematic for indirect SAM transport across the mammalian plasma membrane, and lastly discussed the implications arising from such transport schematic.

Sustainable Exploitation of By-Products of Vitivinicultural Origin in Winemaking

Grapes are cultivated globally with the total area under vines reaching 7.4 million hectares in 2018, and the global wine market is expected to increase to USD 423 billion by the end of 2023. However, winemaking produces large quantities of by-products/wastes like grape pomace (GP; the residue of pressed grapes), wine lees (WL; the residue accumulating in vessels containing wine after fermentation), and vine shoots (VS; generated during the pruning season in the vineyard). Exploitation of agro-industrial side-streams, wastes, and residues, such as WL, GP, and VS, is an issue of vital importance to global good environmental governance. As WL and GP constitute valuable sources of nutrients and VS are a source of cellulose fibers, their use for novel products with applications in winemaking is of major importance. In the present study, the recent trends in sustainable exploitation of such by-products for application in winemaking are presented. WL consist mainly of ethanol, tartaric acid, and yeast cells, and it is usually used for the recovery of these bioactive compounds and as a nutrient supplement of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts growth. GP has been used for the recovery of phenolic compounds, as a substrate for alcohol production, and as fertilizer in the vineyard. New trends include its use for eliminating unwanted wine compounds (like ochratoxin A and pesticides) and as a sustainable fining agent of wines (in order to modify its sensory features such as astringency, bitterness, and mouthfeel). Finally, VS has been used as biochar and for nanocomposite film production.