Effect of iron supplementation on incidence of infectious illness in children: systematic review

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of iron supplementation on the incidence of infections in children.DesignSystematic review of randomised controlled trials.InterventionsOral or parenteral iron supplementation or fortified formula milk or cereals.OutcomesIncidence of all recorded infectious illnesses, and individual illnesses, including respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea, malaria, other infections, and prevalence of positive smear results for malaria.ResultsThe pooled estimate (random effects model) of the incidence rate ratio (iron v placebo) was 1.02 (95% confidence interval 0.96 to 1.08, P=0.54; P<0.0001 for heterogeneity). The incidence rate difference (iron minus placebo) for all recorded illnesses was 0.06 episodes/child year (−0.06 to 0.18, P=0.34; P<0.0001 for heterogeneity). However, there was an increase in the risk of developing diarrhoea (incidence rate ratio 1.11, 1.01 to 1.23, P=0.04), but this would not have an overall important on public health (incidence rate difference 0.05 episodes/child year, –0.03 to 0.13; P=0.21). The occurrence of other illnesses and positive results on malaria smears (adjusted for positive smears at baseline) were not significantly affected by iron administration. On meta-regression, the statistical heterogeneity could not be explained by the variables studied.ConclusionIron supplementation has no apparent harmful effect on the overall incidence of infectious illnesses in children, though it slightly increases the risk of developing diarrhoea.

What is already known on this topic

Iron supplementation is recommended to prevent iron deficiency, which is a major health problem, especially in the developing countriesConflicting data exist regarding the possibility of an increase in the incidence of infections with iron supplementation, resulting in concern about the safety of this intervention

What this study adds

Iron supplementation has no apparent harmful effect on the overall incidence of infectious illnesses in childrenIron administration increases the risk of developing diarrhoeaFortification of foods may be the safest and most beneficial mode of supplementation in relation to infectious illnesses     

One-pot two-step facile synthesis of 2,3,4,5-tetra substituted dihydrooxazoles and their antimicrobial activity

New 2,3,4,5-tetra substituted dihydrooxazoles derivatives were efficiently synthesized starting from benzaldehyde, aryl thiosemicarbazide and benzoin using designed synthetic route. Newly synthesized 2,3,4,5-tetra substituted dihydrooxazole derivatives were screened for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against different strains of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) were determined for the test compounds using positive and negative control. Compounds 4b, 4d, 4f, 4i, 4k and 4m, have shown good antibacterial activity whereas compounds 4e, 4g, 4h, 4j, 4l and 4n have displayed better antifungal activity.     

Biological Control of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium</Emphasis> sp. NBRI-PMSF12 Pathogenic to Cultivated Betelvine by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus</Emphasis> sp. NBRI-W9, a Potential Biological Control Agent

Betelvine is prone to several fungal diseases including leaf spots, foot and root rot caused by Fusarium spp. due to humid conditions prevailing in fields. In the present study, a potent antagonistic bacterial endophyte and a virulent fungal pathogen were selected after rigorous screening of isolates from different betelvine varieties to provide an efficient biocontrol strategy in cultivation of betelvine. Wild varieties of crops are a rich source of untapped endophytes. Of the four betelvine varieties used for isolations and screening, the wild variety was richest in endophytic populations. Using 16S rRNA sequencing, the selected antagonist was identified as Bacillus sp. (NBRI-W9). The pathogen, virulent against cultivated varieties, was identified as Fusarium sp. (NBRI-PMSF12) using ITS 1 and 2 region sequencing. Under in vitro and field conditions, NBRI-W9 was able to induce early rooting, provide plant growth promotion, increase leaf size and yield (leaf number) and provide biocontrol against the Fusarium sp. infection. NBRI-W9 treatments showed bacterial colonization on the leaf surface preferably in the vicinity of pearl glands and the collenchyma region in scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies. NBRI-W9 was observed to directly enter the leaf by degrading cell walls and colonize the subcellular layers. SEM analysis showed direct confrontation of NBRI-W9 with Fusarium on the leaf surface and in the collenchyma region as one of the probable modes of biocontrol.     

Highly stable binding proteins derived from the hyperthermophilic Sso7d scaffold

We have shown that highly stable binding proteins for a wide spectrum of targets can be generated through mutagenesis of the Sso7d protein from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. Sso7d is a small (∼ 7 kDa, 63 amino acids) DNA-binding protein that lacks cysteine residues and has a melting temperature of nearly 100 °C. We generated a library of 10⁸ Sso7d mutants by randomizing 10 amino acid residues on the DNA-binding surface of Sso7d, using yeast surface display. Binding proteins for a diverse set of model targets could be isolated from this library; our chosen targets included a small organic molecule (fluorescein), a 12 amino acid peptide fragment from the C-terminus of β-catenin, the model proteins hen egg lysozyme and streptavidin, and immunoglobulins from chicken and mouse. Without the application of any affinity maturation strategy, the binding proteins isolated had equilibrium dissociation constants in the nanomolar to micromolar range. Further, Sso7d-derived binding proteins could discriminate between closely related immunoglobulins. Mutant proteins based on Sso7d were expressed at high yields in the Escherichia coli cytoplasm. Despite extensive mutagenesis, Sso7d mutants have high thermal stability; five of six mutants analyzed have melting temperatures > 89 °C. They are also resistant to chemical denaturation by guanidine hydrochloride and retain their secondary structure after extended incubation at extreme pH values. Because of their favorable properties, such as ease of recombinant expression, and high thermal, chemical and pH stability, Sso7d-derived binding proteins will have wide applicability in several areas of biotechnology and medicine.     

Management of polycystic ovary syndrome among Indian women using myo‐inositol and D-chiro-inositol

Myo-Inositol and D-chiro-inositol (MI-DCI) are used in the treatment of polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS) due to their insulin-sensitizing actions. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the treatment patterns, clinical effectiveness and safety of MI-DCI combination in anagement of PCOS in Indian women. Data from 50 healthcare centers across India was collected between September 2019 and February 2020 and was used in the study. Women aged 12-45 years diagnosed with PCOS, who had received MI-DCI (550-150 mg) were included. The outcome parameters were change in weight, luteinizing hormone (LH)/follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio, hirsutism, blood glucose and insulin levels, HOMA-IR, and lipid profile. A total of 283 women were included (mean age: 27.74 years; body mass index: 26.89 kg/m2); of which 197 (69.61%) reported reduction in weight after treatment with MI-DCI. The hirsutism scores considerably improved after treatment and the proportion of patients with, no hirsutism increased from 31.07% to 50.51% and moderate hirsutism reduced from 32.52% to 6.12% while, there were no patients with severe hirsutism after the treatment. There was a significant reduction in LH:FSH ratio (mean difference: 0.25 mg/dL; p=0.021), free testosterone (mean difference: 1.49; p<0.001) and dehydroepiandrosterone (mean difference: 21.49; P<0.001) levels after regular use of MI-DCI tablets. Treatment with MI-DCI resulted in significant improvement in insulin levels, HOMA-IR score, Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), post-prandial plasma glucose (PPG) and lipid profile. The therapy restored menstruation and spontaneous ovulation and significantly attenuated the LH/FSH ratio. Thus, MI-DCI (550-150 mg) has shown multidimensional benefits in improving the hormonal, glycemic, and lipid profile of women with PCOS with considerable efficacy and tolerability.     

An innovative and cost-effective way to estimate alkaline phosphatase activity in in vitro cellular model systems

Alkaline phosphatase is an enzyme that converts para-nitrophenyl phosphate to para-nitrophenol (yellow coloured) in 2-amino, 2-methyl, 1-propanol buffer at pH 10.5. However, when this protocol is applied to the in vitro cellular model systems to estimate alkaline phosphatase activity, it tends to generate clumps of genomic DNA, leading to inaccurate pipetting for protein estimation. The aim of the study was to introduce minor modifications in the existing protocol to make it simple, cost-effective, with minimal labor-intensive procedures while estimating alkaline phosphatase activity in cellular model systems. The genomic DNA clumps were dissolved by depurination (adding 0.2 N HCl) and fragmentation (adding 0.2 N NaOH) during enzyme estimation. Moreover, these minor modifications have been standardized and optimized extensively by using serum samples (rich source of alkaline phosphatase), hFOB/ER9 (human Fetal osteoblastic cell) and HepG2 cells. Our results suggest that the modification incorporated in previously published method was robust enough to estimate ALP activity and protein concentration accurately. There was no significant variation in ALP activity estimated after modification (P > 0.05). This innovative approach could be beneficial for a researcher by providing an easy, cost effective and less labor-intensive solution for estimation of enzymatic activity in cellular model systems.