• 作者：Richard D. Semba^a ; ^{rdsemba@jhmi.edu" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; Michelle Shardell^b ; Fayrouz A. Sakr Ashour^c ; Ruin Moaddel^b ; Indi Trehan^d ; ^e ; Kenneth M. Maleta^e ; M. Isabel Ordiz^d ; Klaus Kraemer^f ; ^g ; Mohammed A. Khadeer^b ; Luigi Ferrucci^b ; Mark J. Manary^d ; ^e
• 关键词：Amino acids ; Children ; Glycerophospholipids ; Malnutrition ; Sphingolipids ; Stunting
• 刊名：EBioMedicine
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：April 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：6
• 期：Complete
• 页码：246-252
• 全文大小：1274 K

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We used metabolomics and mass spectrometry to gain insight into nutrition of stunted children.

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Stunted children in rural Africa had low circulating levels of essential amino acids.

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Children at risk of stunting may not have an adequate dietary intake of essential amino acids.

Worldwide, one-quarter of children under five years are short for their age (stunted), indicative of chronic malnutrition. Lipid-based nutrient supplements containing micronutrients have little to no effect in reducing child stunting. We examined the relationship between circulating metabolites with stunting in young children in Africa. Stunted children had lower serum levels of all nine essential amino acids compared with non-stunted children. These results challenge the widespread assumption that protein intake is adequate among young children in developing countries. The findings support the idea that children at high risk of stunting are not receiving adequate dietary intake of essential amino acids.