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Title: The nutrient and metabolite profile of 3 complementary legume foods with potential to improve gut health in rural Malawian children

Author
item BORRESEN, ERICA - COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
item ZHANG, LEI - COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
item TREHAN, INDI - UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
item NEALON, NORA - COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
item MALETA, KENNETH - UNIVERSITY OF MALAWI
item MANARY, MARK - CHILDREN'S NUTRITION RESEARCH CENTER (CNRC)
item RYAN, ELIZABETH - COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Current Developments in Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2017
Publication Date: 9/21/2017
Citation: Borresen, E.C., Zhang, L., Trehan, I.J., Nealon, N., Maleta, K.M., Manary, M.J., Ryan, E.P. 2017. The nutrient and metabolite profile of 3 complementary legume foods with potential to improve gut health in rural Malawian children. Current Developments in Nutrition. 1:e001610. https://doi:10.3945/cdn.117.001610.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3945/cdn.117.001610

Interpretive Summary: Poor gut health is frequently seen in rural Malawian children and causes poor health and increased risk of stunting; however, legumes may be beneficial for improving nutrition and reducing poor gut health. This study determined the food safety, nutritional value and metabolite profile of 3 legume-based foods given to children weaning or those in the first 1,000 days of life. It was determined that legumes provide a rich source of protein, dietary fiber, essential micronutrients and plant produced chemicals that may improve gut health.

Technical Abstract: 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.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). 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. 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 a- and g-tocopherol acid for CP. No heavy metals were detected, and aflatoxin was measured only in the CSB (5.2 parts per billion). 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.