Prognostic impact of inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is usually associated with a poor prognosis.Surgery is the main curative treatment but pancreatic operations are aggressive and new tools that help clinicians to predict surgical and prognostic outcomes are necessary.Lu et al recently published a retrospective,single centre cohort study evaluating the impact of seven nutritional and inflammatory markers in pancreatic cancer surgical patients:The albumin-to-globulin ratio,prognostic nutritional index(PNI),systemic immune-inflammation index(SII),neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR),nutritional risk index,and the geriatric nutritional risk index.A significant correlation was found between the PNI,SII,NLR,and PLR and a hospital discharge of less than 15 days.In a univariable analysis,PNI,SII,NLR and PLR were significantly related to recurrence-free survival and,in a multivariable analysis PNI was associated with overall survival.Various meta-analyses corroborate the results in terms of prognosis but individual studies are discordant on their usefulness.Besides,the cut-off values for these markers vary significantly between studies and there are no clinical trials comparing them to identify the most relevant ones.These are limitations when implementing nutritional and inflammatory biomarkers into clinical practice and further studies are needed in order to answer these questions.

Improving postoperative outcomes in patients with pancreatic cancer:Inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers

This editorial assesses the prognostic value of preoperative inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers in patients undergoing surgical resection for pancreatic cancer.Lu et al evaluated the ability of seven biomarkers to predict postoperative recovery and long-term outcomes.These biomarkers were albumin-to-globulin ratio,prognostic nutritional index(PNI),systemic immune-inflammation index,neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio,platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio,nutritional risk index,and geriatric nutritional risk index.The PNI was found to be a strong predictor of both overall and recurrence-free survival,underscoring its clinical relevance in managing patients with pancreatic cancer.

Personalized nutritional care for immune function recovery in postoperative gastrointestinal surgery patients:An observational study

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal(GI)surgery can significantly affect the nutritional status and immune function of patients.This study aimed to investigate the effects of personalized nutritional care on the recovery of immune function in patients who underwent postoperative GI surgery.AIM To study examines personalized nutritional care’s impact on immune function recovery,nutritional status,and clinical outcomes after GI surgery.METHODS This observational study included 80 patients who underwent GI surgery between 2021 and 2023.Patients received personalized nutritional care based on their individual needs and surgical outcomes.Immune function markers including lymphocyte subsets,immunoglobulins,and cytokines were measured preoperatively and at regular intervals postoperatively.Nutritional status,clinical outcomes,and quality of life were assessed.RESULTS Patients receiving personalized nutritional care showed significant improvements in immune function markers compared to baseline.At 4 weeks postoperatively,CD4+T-cell counts increased by 25%(P<0.001),while interleukin-6 levels decreased by 40%(P<0.001).Nutritional status,as measured by prealbumin and transferrin levels,improved by 30%(P<0.01).Postoperative complications reduced by 35%compared to historical controls.The quality-of-life scores improved by 40%at 3 months postoperatively.CONCLUSION Personalized nutritional care enhances immune function recovery,improves nutritional status,and reduces complications in patients undergoing postoperative GI surgery,highlighting its crucial role in optimizing patient outcomes following such procedures.

Nomogram based on a novel nutritional immune-inflammatory status score to predict postoperative outcomes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND The relationship between patient nutritional,immune,and inflammatory status is linked to tumor progression and prognosis.However,there are limited studies on the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)after surgery based on the comprehensive indicators of these factors.AIM To develop and validate a novel nomogram based on a nutritional immuneinflammatory status(NIIS)score for predicting postoperative outcomes in ESCC.METHODS This retrospective study examined 829 patients with ESCC who underwent radical surgery between June 2016 and June 2020,with 568 patients in the training cohort and 261 patients in the validation cohort.We incorporated comprehensive indicators related to nutrition,immunity,and inflammation to develop the NIIS score, using LASSO regression. Subsequently, a nomogram combining the NIIS score and other clinicopathologicalparameters was developed and validated using calibration curves, time-dependent area under curves, and decisioncurve analysis.RESULTSWe identified eight indicators that constitute the NIIS score. High-risk scores emerged as an independent riskfactor for overall survival [training set HR 2.497 (1.802, 3.458), P < 0.001]. A NIIS nomogram for personalizedprognostic prediction was developed by integrating the NIIS score with clinicopathological variables, yieldingenhanced predictive value relative to individual indicators and the UICC/TNM staging system.CONCLUSIONThe NIIS score provides strong predictive value for postoperative outcomes in ESCC, thus offering a valuable toolfor clinical decision-making.

Prognostic roles nutritional index in patients with resectable and advanced biliary tract cancers

BACKGROUND Biliary tract cancer(BTC)is a rare,aggressive malignancy with increasing inci-dence and poor prognosis.Identifying preoperative prognostic factors is crucial for effective risk-benefit assessments and patient stratification.The prognostic nutritional index(PNI),which reflects immune-inflammatory and nutritional status,has shown prognostic value in various cancers,but its significance in BTC remains unclear.AIM To assess the prognostic value of the preoperative PNI in BTC patients,with a focus on overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS).METHODS Comprehensive searches were conducted in the PubMed,EMBASE,and Web of Science databases from inception to April 2024.The primary outcomes of interest focused on the associations between the preoperative PNI and the prognosis of BTC patients,specifically OS and disease-free survival(DFS).Statistical analyses were conducted via STATA 17.0 software.RESULTS Seventeen studies encompassing 4645 patients met the inclusion criteria.Meta-analysis revealed that a low PNI was significantly associated with poorer OS[hazard ratio(HR)1.91,95%CI:1.59-2.29;P<0.001]and DFS(HR 1.93,95%CI:1.39-2.67;P<0.001).Subgroup analyses revealed consistent results across BTC subtypes(cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer)and stages(resectable and advanced).Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings,and no significant publication bias was detected.CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that a low preoperative PNI predicts poor OS and DFS in BTC patients,highlighting its potential as a valuable prognostic tool.Further prospective studies are needed to validate these findings and enhance BTC patient management.

Do Child–Turcotte–Pugh and nutritional assessments predict survival in cirrhosis: A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND Cirrhotic patients face heightened energy demands,leading to rapid glycogen depletion,protein degradation,oxidative stress,and inflammation,which drive disease progression and complications.These disruptions cause cellular damage and parenchymal changes,resulting in vascular alterations,portal hypertension,and liver dysfunction,significantly affecting patient prognosis.AIM To analyze the association between Child–Turcotte–Pugh(CTP)scores and di-fferent nutritional indicators with survival in a 15-year follow-up cohort.METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study with 129 cirrhotic patients of both sexes aged>18 years.Diagnosis of cirrhosis was made by liver biopsy.The first year of data collection was 2007,and data regarding outcomes were collected in 2023.Data were gathered from medical records,and grouped by different methods,including CTP,handgrip strength,and triceps skinfold cutoffs.The prognostic values for mortality were assessed using Kaplan–Meier curves and multivariate binary logistic regression models.RESULTS The coefficient for CTP was the only statistically significant variable(Wald=5.193,P=0.023).This suggests that with a negative change in CTP classification score,the odds of survival decrease 52.6%.The other evaluated variables did not significantly predict survival outcomes in the model.Kaplan–Meier survival curves also indicated that CTP classification was the only significant predictor.CONCLUSION Although different classifications showed specific differences in stratification,only CTP showed significant predictive potential.CTP score remains a simple and effective predictive tool for cirrhotic patients even after longer follow-up.

Comparison of different preoperative objective nutritional indices for evaluating 30-d mortality and complications after liver transplantation

BACKGROUND The nutritional status is closely related to the prognosis of liver transplant re-cipients,but few studies have reported the role of preoperative objective nutri-tional indices in predicting liver transplant outcomes.AIM To compare the predictive value of various preoperative objective nutritional indicators for determining 30-d mortality and complications following liver transplantation(LT).METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on 162 recipients who underwent LT at our institution from December 2019 to June 2022.RESULTS This study identified several independent risk factors associated with 30-d mor-tality,including blood loss,the prognostic nutritional index(PNI),the nutritional risk index(NRI),and the control nutritional status.The 30-d mortality rate was 8.6%.Blood loss,the NRI,and the PNI were found to be independent risk factors for the occurrence of severe postoperative complications.The NRI achieved the highest prediction values for 30-d mortality[area under the curve(AUC)=0.861,P<0.001]and severe complications(AUC=0.643,P=0.011).Compared to those in the high NRI group,the low patients in the NRI group had lower preoperative body mass index and prealbumin and albumin levels,as well as higher alanine aminotransferase and total bilirubin levels,Model for End-stage Liver Disease scores and prothrombin time(P<0.05).Furthermore,the group with a low NRI exhibited significantly greater incidences of intraabdominal bleeding,primary graft nonfunction,and mortality.CONCLUSION The NRI has good predictive value for 30-d mortality and severe complications following LT.The NRI could be an effective tool for transplant surgeons to evaluate perioperative nutritional risk and develop relevant nutritional therapy.

Hydrothermal treatment of pearl millet grains:Effects on nutritional composition,antinutrients and flour properties

Pearl millet(Pennisetum glaucum)is one of the major millets with high nutritional properties.This crop exhibits exceptional resilience to drought and high temperatures.However,the processing of pearl millet poses a significant challenge due to its high lipid content,enzyme activity,and presence of antinutrients.Consequently,it becomes imperative to enhance the quality and prolong the shelf life of pearl millet flour by employing suitable technologies.Hydrothermal treatment in the food industry has long been seen as promising due to its potential to reduce microbial load,inactivate enzymes,and improve nutrient retention.This study aims to investigate the effects of hydrothermal treatment on the quality characteristics of pearl millet.The independent variables of the study were soaking temperature(35,45,55℃),soaking time(2,3,4 h),and steaming time(5,10,15 min).Treatment conditions had a statistically significant effect on nutrient retention.Major antinutrients like tannins and phytates were reduced by 0.99% to 5.94% and 0.36% to 6.00%,respectively,after the treatment.Lipase activity decreased significantly up to 10% with the treatment conditions.The findings of this study could potentially encourage the use of pearl millet flour in the production of various food items and promote the application of hydrothermal treatment in the field of food processing.

Improving the nutritional values of yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor(Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae as an animal feed ingredient: a review

Yellow mealworm larvae(YML;Tenebrio molitor) are considered as a valuable insect species for animal feed due to their high nutritional values and ability to grow under different substrates and rearing conditions. Advances in the understanding of entomophagy and animal nutrition over the past decades have propelled research areas toward testing multiple aspects of YML to exploit them better as animal feed sources. This review aims to summarize various approaches that could be exploited to maximize the nutritional values of YML as an animal feed ingredient. In addition, YML has the potential to be used as an antimicrobial or bioactive agent to improve animal health and immune function in production animals. The dynamics of the nutritional profile of YML can be influenced by multiple factors and should be taken into account when attempting to optimize the nutrient contents of YML as an animal feed ingredient. Specifically, the use of novel land-based and aquatic feeding resources, probiotics, and the exploitation of larval gut microbiomes as novel strategies can assist to maximize the nutritional potential of YML. Selection of relevant feed supplies, optimization of ambient conditions, the introduction of novel genetic selection procedures, and implementation of effective post-harvest processing may be required in the future to commercialize mealworm production. Furthermore, the use of appropriate agricultural practices and technological improvements within the mealworm production sector should be aimed at achieving both economic and environmental sustainability. The issues highlighted in this review could pave the way for future approaches to improve the nutritional value of YML.

Performance of nutritional and inflammatory markers in patients with pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND Systemic inflammation and nutrition play pivotal roles in cancer progression and can increase the risk of delayed recovery after surgical procedures.AIM To assess the significance of inflammatory and nutritional indicators for the prognosis and postoperative recovery of patients with pancreatic cancer(PC).METHODS Patients who were diagnosed with PC and underwent surgical resection at our hospital between January 1,2019,and July 31,2023,were enrolled in this retrospective observational cohort study.All the data were collected from the electronic medical record system.Seven biomarkers-the albumin-to-globulin ratio,prognostic nutritional index(PNI),systemic immune–inflammation index(SII),neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR),nutritional risk index(NRI),and geriatric NRI were assessed.RESULTS A total of 446 patients with PC met the inclusion criteria and were subsequently enrolled.Patients with early postoperative discharge tended to have higher PNI values and lower SII,NLR,and PLR values(all P<0.05).Through multivariable logistic regression analysis,the SII value emerged as an independent risk factor influencing early recovery after surgery.Additionally,both univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses revealed that the PNI value was the strongest prognostic marker for overall survival(OS;P=0.028)and recurrence-free survival(RFS;P<0.001).The optimal cutoff PNI value was established at 47.30 using X-tile software.Patients in the PNI-high group had longer OS(P<0.001)and RFS(P=0.0028)times than those in the PNI-low group.CONCLUSION Preoperative systemic inflammatory-nutritional biomarkers may be capable of predicting short-term recovery after surgery as well as long-term patient outcomes.

Preoperative controlling nutritional status as an optimal prognostic nutritional index to predict the outcome for colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND The controlling nutritional status(CONUT)score effectively reflects a patient’s nutritional status,which is closely related to cancer prognosis.This study invest-igated the relationship between the CONUT score and prognosis after radical surgery for colorectal cancer,and compared the predictive ability of the CONUT score with other indexes.AIM To analyze the predictive performance of the CONUT score for the survival rate of colorectal cancer patients who underwent potentially curative resection.METHODS This retrospective analysis included 217 patients with newly diagnosed colorectal.The CONUT score was calculated based on the serum albumin level,total lymphocyte count,and total cholesterol level.The cutoff value of the CONUT score for predicting prognosis was 4 according to the Youden Index by the receiver operating characteristic curve.The associations between the CONUT score and the prognosis were performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analysis.RESULTS Using the cutoff value of the CONUT score,patients were stratified into CONUT low(n=189)and CONUT high groups(n=28).The CONUT high group had worse overall survival(OS)(P=0.013)and relapse-free survival(RFS)(P=0.015).The predictive performance of CONUT was superior to the modified Glasgow prognostic score,the prognostic nutritional index,and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio.Meanwhile,the predictive performances of CONUT+tumor node metastasis(TNM)stage for 3-year OS[area under the receiver operating characteristics curve(AUC)=0.803]and 3-year RFS(AUC=0.752)were no less than skeletal muscle mass index(SMI)+TNM stage.The CONUT score was negatively correlated with SMI(P<0.01).CONCLUSION As a nutritional indicator,the CONUT score could predict long-term outcomes after radical surgery for colorectal cancer,and its predictive ability was superior to other indexes.The correlation between the CONUT score and skeletal muscle may be one of the factors that play a predictive role.

Clinical significance of preoperative nutritional status in elderly gastric cancer patients undergoing radical gastrectomy:A singlecenter retrospective study

BACKGROUND The population of elderly patients with gastric cancer is increasing,which is a major public health issue in China.Malnutrition is one of the greatest risk factors for adverse clinical outcomes in elderly patients with gastric cancer.AIM To investigate the preoperative nutritional status and its association with delayed discharge of elderly gastric cancer patients following radical gastrectomy.METHODS A total of 783 patients aged 65 years and older harboring gastric adenocarcinoma and following radical gastrectomy were retrospectively analyzed from the prospectively collected database of Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University between January 2018 and May 2020.RESULTS The overall rate of malnutrition was 31.8%.The incidence of postoperative complications was significantly higher in the malnourished group compared to the well-nourished group(P<0.001).Nutritional characteristics in the malnourished group,including body mass index,prognostic nutritional index(PNI),albumin,prealbumin,and hemoglobin,were all significantly lower than those in the well-nourished group.The percentage of patients who received postoperative total nutrient admixture was lower in the malnourished group compared to the wellnourished group(22.1%vs 33.5%,P=0.001).Age≥70 years(HR=1.216,95%CI:1.048-1.411),PNI<44.5(HR=1.792,95%CI:1.058-3.032),operation time≥160 minutes(HR=1.431,95%CI:1.237-1.656),and postoperative complications grade III or higher(HR=2.191,95%CI:1.604-2.991)were all recognized as independent risk factors associated with delayed discharge.CONCLUSION Malnutrition is relatively common in elderly patients undergoing gastrectomy.Low PNI is an independent risk factor associated with delay discharge.More strategies are needed to improve the clinical outcome of these patients.

Nutritional Assessment Tools for Patients with Cancer:A Narrative Review

Cancer patients are at high risk of malnutrition,which can lead to adverse health outcomes such as prolonged hospitalization,increased complications,and increased mortality.Accurate and timely nutritional assessment plays a critical role in effectively managing malnutrition in these patients.However,while many tools exist to assess malnutrition,there is no universally accepted standard.Although different tools have their own strengths and limitations,there is a lack of narrative reviews on nutritional assessment tools for cancer patients.To address this knowledge gap,we conducted a non-systematic literature search using PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,and the Cochrane Library from their inception until May 2023.A total of 90 studies met our selection criteria and were included in our narrative review.We evaluated the applications,strengths,and limitations of 4 commonly used nutritional assessment tools for cancer patients:the Subjective Global Assessment(SGA),Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment(PG-SGA),Mini Nutritional Assessment(MNA),and Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition(GLIM).Our findings revealed that malnutrition was associated with adverse health outcomes.Each of these 4 tools has its applications,strengths,and limitations.Our findings provide medical staff with a foundation for choosing the optimal tool to rapidly and accurately assess malnutrition in cancer patients.It is essential for medical staff to be familiar with these common tools to ensure effective nutritional management of cancer patients.

Is nutritional status a new indicator to use in clinical practice for colorectal cancer patients?

In this editorial we comment on the interesting article by Liu et al.The topic of discussion is the need for a cost-effective and easy-to-use scoring system for predicting the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients.In this context,nutritional assessment plays a crucial role in the multimodal evaluation of patients.In particular,the controlling nutritional status score was found to be an effective tool in the clinical decision-making process,in order to customize treatment strategies and to improve patient outcomes.

Assessement of Nutritional Status of Households Using Weighed Food Intake in North West Region of Cameroon

This study determined the nutritional status of households in North western region of Cameroon using weighed food intake. Twenty–two rural and 106 urban households were randomly selected for weighed food intake Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze collected data and significance at p < 0.05 accepted. Corn fufu with huckleberry was the most frequently consumed meal with little or no animal-source protein. Protein and B group vitamins intake of respondents in both communities were below the FAO/WHO recommended values while energy, iron, and vitamins A and C were in excess for most age groups. Adolescents 10 - 19 years and adults 20 years and above failed to meet at least 85% of RNI for calcium.

Enhancing Adaptability, Nutritional Quality in Tropical Tuber Crops: Source for Adaptive Food and Nutrition

The tropical roots and tuber crops (R and T) consist of cassava, sweet potato, yams, elephant foot yam, taro, tannia and a couple of minor tuber crops. Tropical tuber crops are the third most important food crops after cereals and pulses. These crops play a crucial role in providing food and nutritional security to the rural masses in Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia. Cassava and sweet potato rank among the top 10 food crops produced in developing countries and contribute to about 6% of world’s dietary calories. In India, tropical tubers are grown mostly in states like Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and North East covering 4.5% of the total area under vegetables with 5.7% of the total vegetable production. Low income farmers and most undernourished households in India depend on R and T crops. They value these crops for their high calorie and stable yields under conditions in which other crops may fail. Genetic diversity of major tropical tuber crops provides options for its diverse usage in “multicuisine”, “nutrition”, “feed”, health care” and renewable resources of processing firms. Water productivity is also higher, for example, to produce 1 kg of tubers, sweet potatoes require water (383 l), taro (606 l), yam (343 l), as compared to rice (1673 l), maize (1222 l), wheat (1827 l), etc. Tuber crops are one of most efficient producers of dry matter and edible energy. These crops have potential to reverse soil degradation. Cassava is already recognized as drought tolerant followed by yam. Tubers of taro, elephant foot yam and yams can be stored under zero energy conditions for 6 - 7 months unlike temperate potatoes in cold storage. The natural climatic resilience as well as inherent nutrition attributes, has been explored further. Such studies made these crops more robust to changing climate and as the source of nutrient enriched food bowls. Sweet potato variety Bhu Krishna is the first purple flesh variety in India containing (90 mg/100 g anthocyanin) coupled with starch 22% - 25%. Similarly, the orange flesh Bhu Sona containing beta carotene (14 mg/100 g) coupled with high starch 22% - 24% is the first variety having both high beta carotene and high starch. These varieties are tolerant to salinity and Bhu Krishna is resistant to weevil. Likewise, developed improved taro varieties resistant to biotic blight stress, tolerant to salinity and are enriched with micro nutrients. These improved varieties are used to breed the superior types further. All these climate resilient, nutritionally enriched varieties will have a greater impact on supplementing rainbow food for all. These can address the issues like “food insecurity”, “malnutrition”, diet related issue of mass consumers across the world. The analysis of innovations on enhancing adaptability, nutritional quality with a management matrix would help in strengthening future programme.

Relationship between nutritional therapy and beneficial bacteria ratio in severe disease

Objective:To evaluate relationship between changes in the beneficial bacteria in intensive care unit(ICU)patients and nutritional therapy type.Methods:Ten patients aged≥18 years admitted to the ICU between January and December 2020,were included.Good enteral nutrition was defined as early achievement of target calorie intake through enteral feeding.The ratio of beneficial bacteria at the first and second bowel movements after each patient’s admission was calculated and the patients were classified into the increase or decrease group.Among all patients,five each were in the increase and decrease groups.We investigated patient background,changes in sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation(APACHE)Ⅱscores,nutritional doses or methods,and clinical outcomes.Results:No relationship was found between changes in the ratio of beneficial bacteria and changes in SOFA/APACHEⅡscores at the time of admission.The rate of good enteral nutrition was significantly higher in the increase group than in the decrease group(4/5 vs.0/5,P=0.01).Conclusions:An increase in beneficial bacteria may be significantly related to the early establishment of enteral nutrition.In the future,accumulating cases may make it possible to establish a new nutritional strategy for critically ill patients from an intestinal microbiota perspective.

Nutritional Characterization of Traditional Foods Based on Millet, Sorghum and Cowpea from the North-Central Region of Burkina Faso

The food and nutrition situation in Burkina Faso, like most developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, is marked by growing food vulnerability. The majority of local dishes are being abandoned in favor of a minority of imported cereal dishes and other ultra-processed foods. This minority of cereal foods is blamed for stunted growth in children, while ultra-processed foods are linked to chronic diseases such as hypertension, certain types of diabetes and cancer. Knowledge of the nutritional value of local foods is needed to determine their nutritional quality. The aim of this study was to determine the nutritional values of local dishes based on millet, sorghum and cowpea in the Centre-North region. The methodology consisted of making an inventory of millet-, sorghum- and cowpea-based dishes using focus groups made up of women and men from three age groups comprising young people, adults and the elderly in the communes of Lebda and Boussouma. The dishes were reproduced, and standard biochemical methods were used for nutritional characterization. A total of 34 dishes were inventoried, including 16 millet/sorghum-based dishes, 8 cowpea-based dishes and 10 dishes composed of millet/sorghum and cowpea or leaves. The mean protein, carbohydrate, ash and iron contents per 100 g DM of the three types of dishes were significantly different (p ≤ 0.05), ranging respectively from 13.61 to 22.63 g, 70.76 to 80.88 g, 1.87 to 5.96 g and 7.67 to 12.06 mg. Those for lipid, energy and zinc were not significantly different, ranging from 5.51 to 6.56 g, from 427 to 433 Kcal and from 2.98 to 3.32 mg respectively. Cowpea-based and mixed dishes cover the nutritional requirements for protein, carbohydrates, iron, zinc and energy recommended for children and adults. The consumption of mixed dishes and cowpea-based dishes could be promoted by nutritional policy to reduce stunting and recommended to obese, hypertensive and diabetic people as part of their diet.

Nutritional Screening Tools in Institutionalized People: A Case Study of Using Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS 2002) and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA)

Nutritional status expresses the physiological and nutritional needs to maintain the composition and adequate functioning of the organism. NRS 2002 and MNA protocols were applied to short-term institutionalized patients in Rio Verde (Brazil). Older adults and people with special needs of all ages, both sexes, regardless of possible pathology they may have, except if it causes contagion, were included, patients duly authorized by the person responsible for the institution and who were able to undergo evaluation. Thirty-eight patients from the institution were evaluated, of which ten were excluded from the research according to pre-established criteria. More than 50% of participants were male, with an overall average age of 63.43 years. The characteristics related to nutritional status by NRS 2002 and MNA showed that the risk of malnutrition and its absence are associated with a wide age range. The MNA presents a more nuanced nutritional risk classification, showing that even 61% of the 96% of participants who would be out of nutrition risk, according to the NRS 2002, are “at risk of malnutrition”. Applying the MNA can demonstrate more conservative results than the NRS 2002.

Nutritional and Medicinal Values of the Three Most Used Plants in Chad: Abelmoschus esculentus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, and Corchorus olitorius L.

This review explores the nutritional and health benefits of three vegetable plants in Chad: Abelmoschus esculentus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, and Corchorus olitorius L. These plants are widely consumed by Chadian population, but few research studies have focused on their nutritional and health benefits. The aim is to stimulate research, investment, and in-depth studies on these plants to encourage their use and transformation in Chad. Abelmoschus esculentus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, and Corchorus olitorius L. are Malvaceae species with medicinal properties and traditional use in Chad. They contain essential amino acids and have antinociceptive, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, and anxiolytic activities. Their extract has hypoglycemic potential as a preventative or adjunct therapy for pre-diabetes or diabetes. Hibiscus sabdariffa is rich in essential vitamins, including vitamin A, which is beneficial for eyes, anti-aging, and sight. Its vitamin C helps fight free radicals and ensures good resistance to infections. Corchorus olitorius L. has a nutritional composition ranging from 1.2 to 34.4 mg/100 g and is known for its mucilaginous seeds, young tops and leaves, and silky hair. These plants have potential medicinal applications in antidiabetic, anti-gastritis, and prebiotic fields, and play a significant role in neural development and health. Promoting their use in Chad requires conservation programs, public policies, and local population planting. Future research should focus on their nutritional and medicinal properties, targeting underutilized species to address micronutrient deficiencies. Enhancing bioconservative properties and communication of these plants’ virtues are crucial for their optimal availability and protection.