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Iron-Enriched Fish Powder Improved Haemoglobin Levels in Adolescent Girls of West Jaintia Hills District of Meghalaya, India

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Abstract

This study was carried out to assess the efficacy of sodium iron EDTA (NaFeEDTA) salt-enriched fish powder in addressing iron deficiency in adolescent anaemic girls. This was a 60-day randomised double-blinded, controlled intervention trial involving 123 girls age ranging from 10 to 19 years in three villages of West Jaintia Hills District of State of Meghalaya in India using soup made out of sodium iron EDTA (NaFeEDTA)-enriched fish powder (250 mg/100 g). The influence of the iron-enriched powder on blood haemoglobin levels and serum iron was determined. The research also analysed the food consumed by the study subjects during the study period and it was found that there were no significant differences between the iron-enriched and control groups. The results indicated that the girls predominantly consumed cereals with little fruits, vegetables and meat. On an average, 100 ml of soup prepared out of 10 g of fish powder per day was consumed that theoretically provided about 25 mg of iron each day. Following intervention, all the participants in the group that consumed soup made out of NaFeEDTA-enriched fish powder had significantly higher haemoglobin levels and serum iron and a lower prevalence of anaemia than the control group. The effects of NaFeEDTA salt-enriched fish powder were statistically significant and it can be inferred that NaFeEDTA-enriched fish powder was highly effective in controlling iron deficiency and reducing the prevalence of iron-deficiency anaemia among the adolescent girls.

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All data generated in the study can be made available when required.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to ICDS, West Jaintia Hills District, Meghalaya, and Child Development Project Office, Thadlaskein Block, West Jaintia Hills District, Meghalaya, for the support rendered in conduct of the intervention trials. The support provided by the technical staff at Biochemistry and Nutrition Division of ICAR-CIFT is thankfully acknowledged. This work was undertaken as part of the ongoing ICARC-GIAR W3 collaboration in India between ICAR-CIFT, Cochin, and WorldFish, Malaysia.

Funding

The work was supported by funding from the Institute where the authors currently work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, CIFT Junction, Matsyapuri PO, Cochin, 682029, India

    Asha Kurukkan Kunnath, Suseela Mathew, Mukteswar Prasad Mothadaka & Ravishankar Chandragiri Nagaraja Rao

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  1. Asha Kurukkan Kunnath
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  2. Suseela Mathew
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  3. Mukteswar Prasad Mothadaka
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  4. Ravishankar Chandragiri Nagaraja Rao
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Contributions

KKA was involved in the design and conduct of the study and prepared the manuscript. SM and PMM were involved in the design and conduct of the study. RCN critically reviewed the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript to be submitted.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Asha Kurukkan Kunnath.

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Ethical Approval

The study was approved by the Institutional Research Review Committee and the Institute Project Evaluation and Monitoring Cell. It is also certified that the study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study and their legal guardians.

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The authors affirm that the participants provided informed consent for publication of the study findings.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Highlights

•Fish powder, a rather unconventional source for iron enrichment, has been used as a vehicle to deliver iron to anaemic adolescent girls in our study.

•Sodium iron EDTA, a globally accepted source of iron, has been used as the fortificant to enrich fish powder with iron for the first time.

•Following intake of iron-enriched fish powder for 60 days, a significant decrease in prevalence of anaemia and increase in haemoglobin levels were observed among the participants of the study.

•About 53% of adolescent girls have been resolved of anaemia following the intervention with fish powder enriched with sodium iron EDTA.

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Kunnath, A.K., Mathew, S., Mothadaka, M.P. et al. Iron-Enriched Fish Powder Improved Haemoglobin Levels in Adolescent Girls of West Jaintia Hills District of Meghalaya, India. Biol Trace Elem Res 200, 2017–2024 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-021-02820-0

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