The Nutrient and Metabolite Profile of 3 Complementary Legume Foods with Potential to Improve Gut Health in Rural Malawian Children

Abstract

Background: Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), frequently seen in rural Malawian children, causes chronic inflammation and increases the risk of stunting. Legumes may be beneficial for improving nutrition and reducing the risk of developing EED in weaning children. Objective: The objectives of this study were to determine the nutritional value, verify the food safety, and identify metabolite profiles of 3 legume-based complementary foods: common bean (CB), cowpea (CP), and traditional corn-soy blend (CSB). Methods: Foods were prepared by using local ingredients and analyzed for nutrient composition with the use of Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) standards (950.46, 991.43, 992.15, 996.06, and 991.36) for macro- and micronutrient proximate analysis. Food safety analysis was conducted in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency (7471B) and AOAC (2008.02) standards. The metabolite composition of foods was determined with nontargeted ultra-performance LC–tandem mass spectrometry metabolomics. Results: All foods provided similar energy; CB and CP foods contained higher protein and dietary fiber contents than did the CSB food. Iron and zinc were highest in the CSB and CP foods, whereas CB and CP foods contained higher amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. A total of 652 distinct metabolites were identified across the 3 foods, and 23, 14, and 36 metabolites were specific to the CSB, CB, and CP foods, respectively. Among the potential dietary biomarkers of intake to distinguish legume foods were pipecolic acid and oleanolic acid for CB; arabinose and serotonin for CSB; and quercetin and α- and γ-tocopherol acid for CP. No heavy metals were detected, and aflatoxin was measured only in the CSB (5.2 parts per billion). Conclusions: Legumes in the diet provide a rich source of protein, dietary fiber, essential micronutrients, and phytochemicals that may reduce EED. These food metabolite analyses identified potential dietary biomarkers of legume intake for stool, urine, and blood detection that can be used in future studies to assess the relation between the distinct legumes consumed and health outcomes. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02472262 and NCT02472301.

Effect of cowpea flour processing on the chemical properties and acceptability of a novel cowpea blended maize porridge

“…Crude fibre retained in the flours would enhance digestibility and help maintain a healthy gut microbiota, thereby improving overall gut health. Dietary fibre content of the final samples was subsequently evaluated in the United States after the larger clinical trial had begun [ 36 ].…”

Consumption of Animal-Source Protein is Associated with Improved Height-for-Age z Scores in Rural Malawian Children Aged 12–36 Months

“…Cowpea (Sudan 1 variety) and common bean (white variety) were sourced from local markets, roasted and milled into flour as previously described [ 28 , 29 ]. CSB was commercially produced by a local company (Rab Processors Limited, Blantyre, Malawi), and consisted of 70% corn and 30% soybean, with added sugar and fortified with vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and B12, folate, calcium, zinc and iron.…”

“…CSB was commercially produced by a local company (Rab Processors Limited, Blantyre, Malawi), and consisted of 70% corn and 30% soybean, with added sugar and fortified with vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and B12, folate, calcium, zinc and iron. Each of the randomized interventions provided 30–40% of the child’s daily energy requirement from complementary food [ 28 ]. Using a plastic spoon that was provided to each participant (which delivered 10 g per scoop), guardians of the children were instructed to add the roasted common bean, cowpea or CSB flour to a serving of already-made porridge once a day every day for the duration of the study.…”

Nutrient Content and Nutritional Water Productivity of Selected Grain Legumes in Response to Production Environment

“…They are rich in proteins and some micronutrients [ 16 , 17 , 18 ], hence have the potential to alleviate malnutrition. The nutritional properties of grain legumes have been associated with reduction of environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) [ 19 ]—an incompletely defined syndrome of inflammation, reduced absorptive capacity, and reduced barrier function in the small intestine which is common among the rural poor in the semi- and arid tropics [ 20 ]. Crop diversification through inclusion of indigenous grain legumes in food and nutrition agendas has been proposed by several authors [ 3 , 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”