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conferenceseries.com
Volume 6, Issue 8 (Suppl) J Nutr Food Sci
ISSN:2155-9600 JNFS, an open access journal Clinical Nutrition 2016
December 08-10, 2016
December 08-10, 2016 Dubai, UAE
8th International Conference on
Clinical Nutrition
Locally made ready-to-use-therapeutic food (RUTF) for management of malnutrition using animal models
Florence Wakhu Wamunga and Brian J Wamunga
University of Eldoret, Kenya
High levels of protein energy malnutrition are a major cause of high infant and child morbidity and mortality rates. Ready-to-use-
therapeutic foods (RUTF) are used in any cultural setting for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) without medical
complications and where there is appetite. Effectiveness trials of alternate formulations of RUTF in the treatment of malnutrition are
needed before they can be considered as substitutes for the milk-based RUTF. Ready-to-use-therapeutic foods were formulated using
soybeans as a milk substitute. This was a controlled trial using albino rats designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed food
in the management of malnutrition. The objectives of the study were to determine the effect of the locally developed RUTF on growth
and rehabilitation of malnourished animal models and to determine the effectiveness of the locally made ready-to-use-therapeutic
foods in decreasing mild to moderate malnutrition. Complete randomized trial using 20 rats was carried out for a period of 30 days.
The rats were fed on a protein free diet for a period of 10 days. The rats lost weight. Since they could not be allowed to lose more than
20% of their body weight, they were put on a rehabilitation using the three formulations with plumpy’nut as the control. The rats were
weighed on alternate days. There was steady weight gain among the four groups of rats. All the formulations were statistically similar
to the plumpy’nut in terms of weight gain which is an indicator of growth. These formulations, therefore, can and should be used in
the management and treatment of malnutrition.
Biography
Florence Wakhu Wamunga has completed her PhD at Kenyatta University, Kenya. She is a Lecturer at the University of Eldoret, Kenya in the Department of Family
& Consumer Sciences. She is a Project Leader in a VLIR-UOS funded project. She has published more than 10 papers in reputed journals and has been serving
as an Editorial Board Member of repute.
Florence Wakhu Wamunga et al., J Nutr Food Sci 2016, 6:8 (Suppl)