Adding Enriched Eggs in Ready-to-use foods Improve Recovery Rate in Malnourished Rats

Ready-to-use foods (RUFs) using indigenous sources in developing countries is highly required to treat moderate acute malnutrition (MAM). However, incorporating an animal protein may affect their effectiveness. Thus, two local RUFs were produced without (LF-1) and with eggs (LF-2). The objective of this study was to assess and compare to Plumpy'Sup (PS), the impact of adding enriched eggs in cashew/soy/rice based RUF on the proximate composition, growth and blood biochemical parameters in malnourished Wistar rats by Anagobaka diet. Proximate composition revealed that, with the exception of fiber and ash contents, the two RUFs recorded protein, lipid, carbohydrate and energy values globally comparable to PS. They also met WFP's recommendations for foods to treat MAM. Results of growth parameters show that Anagobaka diet leads to the installation of a moderate emaciation, confirmed by an average weight loss of -17 %. Moreover, recovery diets showed higher weight gain and good palatability (DMI, TPI, FER and PER) in rats fed with PS followed by those fed with LF-2 and LF-1. For the serum biochemical parameters, the rats fed with LF-2 had on the whole a better functioning of blood metabolites (glucose, total proteins, albumin, urea, creatinine, ASAT, ALAT) as well as a better accumulation of blood lipids (total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides) than those of rats fed with PS and LF-1. In conclusion, local RUFs which include enriched eggs present the best nutritional profile to treat MAM in Côte d'Ivoire but to sustain recovery a mineral supplementation will be needed.