Microbiota-Directed Dietary Supplements Aids in Growth of Malnourished Kids

The researchers included a total of 118 slum-dwelling Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition between the ages of 12 months and 18 months. They enrolled children in either microbiota-directed complementary food prototype (MDCF-2) (n=59) or a ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) (n=59). The caloric density of MDCF-2 is lower than that of RUSF (204 kcal vs. 247 kcal per 50-g daily dose).The supplements were administered twice daily for 3 months, followed by 1 month of monitoring. They obtained weight-for-length, weight-for-age, and length-for-age z scores and mid–upper-arm circumference values at baseline and every 2 weeks during the intervention period and at 4 months. They further compared the rate of change of these related phenotypes between baseline and 3 months and between baseline and 4 months. They also measured the levels of 4977 proteins in plasma and 209 bacterial taxa in fecal samples.

Key findings of the study were:

• Upon analysis, the researchers found that the MDCF-2 group had better outcomes than those in the RUSF group based on greater weekly growth in z scores, indicating faster growth rates.
• Upon examining the blood samples, they noted that 714 proteins were significantly altered after 3-month MDCF-2 supplementation, compared with 82 proteins having shown significant alterations in the RUSF group.
• They found that MDCF-2 was linked to the magnitude of change in levels of 70 plasma proteins and of 21 associated bacterial taxa that were positively correlated with the weight-for-length z score.

The authors concluded, "These findings provide support for MDCF-2 as a dietary supplement for young children with moderate acute malnutrition and provide insight into mechanisms by which this targeted manipulation of microbiota components may be linked to growth. "

For further information:

https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2023294