Increase in serum beta-carotene following dark green leafy vegetable supplementation in Mebendazole-treated school children in Bangladesh

Abstract

Objective: To study the effect of consumption of dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV) and sweet pumpkin on serum β-carotene and retinol concentrations in children treated for Ascaris lumbricoides.

Design: Experimental study with a randomised design.

Subjects: A total of 110 primary school children aged 8–12 y in northwestern Bangladesh.

Interventions: All children were de-wormed and 2 weeks later randomly assigned to one of three groups to receive for 6 days per week, for 6 weeks, one complete meal containing either: (1) 4.4 mg beta-carotene from DGLV (n=37, after 18 dropouts); (2) 1.5 mg beta-carotene from sweet pumpkin (n=36, 18 dropouts); or (3) vegetables containing virtually no beta-carotene (control) (n=37, 18 dropouts).

Results: Significant increases (P<0.001) in mean serum β-carotene concentrations were seen in all three study groups, with a statistically higher increase (µmol/l) in the DGLV group (0.44; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32, 0.55) compared to the control group (0.20; 95% CI 0.14, 0.26; P=0.002). The increase in serum retinol (µmol/l) was statistically significant (P=0.04) only in the DGLV group (mean 0.066; 95% CI 0.002, 0.13), but this increase was not different from the increase in the control group.

Conclusion: In children successfully treated for Ascaris lumbricoides, a substantial increase in serum β-carotene was seen after feeding with a moderately high cumulative dose of DGLV for 6 weeks.

Sponsorship: Sarec (Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation in Developing Countries) (SWE-1996-155) and InDevelop, Uppsala University.

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2001) 55, 1–9