Related Experiment Videos
[Evaluation of oxidative stress and antioxidant defences in malnourished Moroccan children]
F Z Squali Houssaini1, J Arnaud, M J Richard
1Laboratoire de Biochimie, Faculté des Sciences Dhar Mehraz, Université Sidi Med Ben Abdellah, Fès, Maroc.
Insights
Malnourished children in Morocco show decreased antioxidant vitamins and trace elements, alongside increased oxidative stress markers. Supplementing with these micronutrients may aid nutritional rehabilitation.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Biochemistry
- Pediatric Public Health
- Oxidative Stress Research
Context:
- Malnutrition is a significant public health issue in Morocco, affecting 25% of children aged 6-60 months.
- An imbalance between antioxidant defenses and prooxidant status is linked to survival rates in malnourished populations.
- Previous research indicates a correlation between antioxidant status and outcomes in malnourished children.
Purpose:
- To investigate blood levels of antioxidant vitamins, trace elements, and oxidative stress markers in malnourished Moroccan children.
- To determine the relationship between the severity of malnutrition and the measured biochemical parameters.
- To explore correlations between antioxidant status, oxidative stress, and anthropometric/inflammatory markers.
Summary:
- Severely and mildly malnourished children exhibited significantly lower levels of retinol, alpha-tocopherol, carotenoids, and selenium compared to healthy controls.
- Malnourished children showed elevated levels of thiobarbituric-acid reactants (TBARS) and ferritin, indicating increased oxidative stress and inflammation.
- Decreased antioxidant levels correlated with malnutrition severity, inflammation (alpha 1-acid glycoprotein), and poorer growth (weight, height).
Impact:
- Confirms a significant imbalance between antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress in malnourished children.
- Highlights the potential role of inflammation and impaired growth in the depletion of antioxidant protective factors.
- Suggests that antioxidant micronutrient supplementation during nutritional rehabilitation is crucial for improving outcomes in malnourished children.
Abstract:
In Morocco, malnutrition is a public health problem. Indeed, 25% of 6- to 60-month-old children suffer from malnutrition. Imbalance between antioxidant protection and prooxidant stress has been reported to accurately predict the survival of malnourished children. Therefore, we determined blood antioxidant vitamins (retinol, alpha-tocopherol and carotenoids), trace elements (serum zinc, copper and selenium) and enzymes (erythrocyte Se glutathione peroxydase and Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase) as well as blood oxidative stress index [ferritine, thiobarbituric-acid reactants (TBARS)] in 21 children suffering from severe malnutrition, 15 children suffering from mild malnutrition and in 20 healthy control children. Selenium, retionol, alpha-tocopherol and carotenoids were significantly decreased in malnourished children. These decreases were related to the severity of malnutrition. Moreover, the percentage of vitamin and trace element concentrations under deficient cutoff were high in malnourished children. On the contrary, TBARS, ferritin and prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index (PINI) were significantly increased in malnourished children. Except for TBARS, these increases were related to the severity of malnutrition. On the other hand, blood retional, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene and selenium were negatively related to alpha 1-acid glycoprotein. Blood beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, carotenes and copper were positively related to weight. Finally, blood lutein/zeaxanthin and copper were positively related to height. These results confirm the imbalance between antioxidant protective factors and oxidative stress index in malnourished children. Moreover, the decrease in antioxidant protective factors is related to inflammation or stature. These results suggest that antioxidant micronutrient supplementation of the refeeding diet could be required in the nutritional rehabilitation of malnourished children.