A Locally-Produced Plant-Based Supplement Swathi Savi (SAVI) Enrichment Improves Body Growth, Bone Development, and Immune Functions in Protein Malnourished Mice: Implications for Strategies to Combat Child Malnutrition

• Published in: Ecology of food and nutrition Vol. 61; no. 2; pp. 182 - 200
• Main Authors: Yang, Kristen Pinchun, Wong, Carmen P., Khanna, Sunil K., Bray, Tammy M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Routledge 04.03.2022; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Animals; Body Weight; Bone Development; Bone growth; Bone mass; child malnutrition; Child Nutrition Disorders; Children; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Enrichment; Humans; immune function; Immunity; Infant; Malnutrition; Malnutrition - etiology; Malnutrition - prevention & control; Mice; Muscles; Protein malnutrition; Proteins; SAVI food supplement; India; child malnutrition; Protein malnutrition; SAVI food supplement; immune function
• ISSN: 0367-0244; 1543-5237
• DOI: 10.1080/03670244.2021.1977636

Child malnutrition is a critical global challenge. India alone is home to nearly 46 million stunted children, a third of the world's total. Supplementing locally-produced foods has been acknowledged as a sustainable strategy for combating child malnutrition. We used an established protein malnutrition (PM) model in young mice to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the SAVI-enriched diet as a food supplement to combat child malnutrition in India. Results indicate that feeding the SAVI-enriched diet improves body weight, lean muscle mass, bone, and immune health in PM young mice. Based on the results of our study in mice, we suggest future human trials to examine the supplement's potential benefits for humans.