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Featured Documents
Freshwater fish as a dietary source of Vitamin A in Cambodia
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| Date published:
04/10/2006
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Author/Editor:
Chhoun Chamnan
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| Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem among children and women. Common Cambodian fish species were sampled and screened for vitamin A content. Contents of vitamin A-active compounds (all-trans retinol, all-trans dehydroretinol, 13-cis retinol, 13-cis dehydroretinol and β-carotene) were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography in samples of raw, whole fish from 29 fish species and in raw, edible parts from 24 species. Replicate samples were analysed in seven selected species. Two species, Parachela siamensis and Rasbora tornieri had very high vitamin A contents >1500 RAE/100 g raw, whole fish, and six species (Barbodes altus, Barbodes gonionatus, Dermogenys pusilla, Puntioplites proctozysron and Thynnichthys thynnoides) had high contents of 500–1500 RAE/100 g raw, whole fish. Two species, Puntioplites proctozysron and Thynnichthys thynnoides had high vitamin A contents in raw, edible parts, after employing traditional cleaning practices. (RAE: The amount of vitamin A active compounds in food is expressed as retinol activity equivalents (RAE), defined as the bioefficacy relative to all-trans-retinol [West, C. E., & Eilander, A. (2002). Consequences of revised estimates of carotenoid bioefficacy for the control of vitamin A deficiency in developing countries. Journal of Nutrition, 132, 2920S–2926S]. Dehydroretinoids (vitamin A2) are not converted to all-trans-retinol but have similar metabolic functions. In this paper, RAE refers to the functional bioefficacy as defined by Brouwer et al. [Brouwer, I. A., Dusseldorp, M. V., West, C. E., & Steegers-Theunissen, R. P. M. (2001). Bioavailability and bioefficacy of folate and folic acid in man. Nutrition Research Review, 14, 267–293]). |
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Iron content in common Cambodian fish species: Perspectives for dietary iron intake in poor, rural households
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| Date published:
17/01/2007
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Author/Editor:
Chhoun Chamnan
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| Iron deficiency is the most widespread nutritional disorder in Cambodia. Sixteen Cambodian fish species were screened for iron, zinc and calcium contents. Esomus longimanus has a higher iron content (451 mg Fe/kg dry matter, SD = 155, n = 4) than other species. Iron pools were measured as inorganic iron (I-Fe) by the ferrozine method, haem-bound iron (H-Fe) by the acetone method and total iron (T-Fe) by atomic absorption spectrometry. I-Fe + H-Fe accounted for <50% of T-Fe in E. longimanus, indicating a pool of complex bound, probably high-molecular weight non-haem iron (Hm-Fe). In a field study, thirty rural women were interviewed about traditional use of E. longimanus; their cleaning and cooking practices were observed and the amounts of fish consumed were recorded and meal samples were collected for iron analysis. Calculations based on the iron content and a high bioavailability of Hm-Fe showed that a traditional fish meal, sour soup, covered 45% of the daily iron requirement for women. |
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The Role of Fish in Food-Based Strategies to Combat Vitamin A and Mineral Deficiencies in Developing Countries
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| Date published:
12/04/2008
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Author/Editor:
Chhoun Chamnan
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| Fish is important in the diets and livelihoods of many poor people suffering from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. In this article, fish intake in rural Bangladesh and Cambodia and the vitamin A, calcium, iron, and zinc contents and nutrient bioavailability of commonly consumed species are presented. The contribution of these species to nutrient intakes as well as their potential to meet dietary recommendations are presented and discussed. Data from consumption surveys were analyzed to obtain fish intake by species. Commonly consumed species were analyzed for nutrient contents, and studies on nutrient bioavailability were conducted. In poor, rural, Bangladeshi households, mean fish intake was 13–83 g raw, whole fish per person/d. Frequency of intake of small fish was high, and small fish made up 50–80% of all fish eaten during the fish production season in rural Bangladesh and Cambodia. Many small fish are eaten whole and therefore are a rich calcium source; some are also rich in vitamin A, iron, and zinc. Even small production of the vitamin A–rich fish mola in ponds in Bangladesh can meet the annual vitamin A recommendation of 2 million children, and a traditional daily meal with the iron-rich fish trey changwa plieng can meet 45% of the daily median iron requirement of Cambodian women. Fish consumption data on the species level, nutrient analyses, awareness of the nutritional value of fish, as well as promotion of the production and accessibility of nutrient-dense species can lead to the use of fish in food-based strategies to combat nutrient deficiencies in poor people in Asia and Africa. The full text Click here |
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