Efficacy of Yellow Cassava to Improve Vitamin A Status of Kenyan School Children

Rationale: Vitamin A deficiency is still common in developing countries and has been proven difficult to combat. A promising approach is to replace common crops with varieties that are naturally richer in vitamin A, which is referred to as biofortification. For cassava, yellow β-carotene rich varieties have recently been introduced in Kenya, and these varieties are now ready to be tested for their efficacy to improve vitamin A status in humans.

Objective: The primary objective is to measure the effect of daily consumption of provitamin A biofortified cassava (providing 50% of the age-specific RDA) on vitamin A status in children aged 5-13 years with mild to moderate vitamin A deficiency in Kenya. To determine the bioefficacy of provitamin A carotenoids from biofortified cassava relative to that of a daily B-carotene supplement (comparison with positive control group). Secondary objectives are: 1) to measure the effect of the intervention on immune function indicators and morbidity; 2) to determine to what degree the serum retinol response to the intervention depends on serum concentrations of retinol and zinc at baseline; 3) to determine the effect of the intervention on functional indicators such as dark adaptation capacity, gut integrity, hematology indicators and thyroid status; 4) to determine the mediating effect of SNP's in the BCMO1 gene on treatment outcome.

Study design & Study population : In this randomized controlled trial, school children aged 5-13 years living in the Kibwezi area, Kenya. Children will be selected from three (or four) primary schools in the area that have been pre-selected based on the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency, location and willingness to participate.

Intervention: After screening for eligibility and a 2-week run-in period (n=360) Children will be randomly allocated to three different treatments: 1) 400 g of yellow cassava providing ~50% of the RDA for vitamin A; and a placebo capsule; 2) 400 g of white cassava; and a placebo capsule; 3) 400 g of white cassava and a capsule containing 100 RAE of all-trans β-carotene.

Main study parameters/endpoints: The main outcome measure will be differences in serum retinol concentrations between groups. Other outcome measures include other vitamin A status indicators (β-carotene, retinol binding protein, transthyretin), immune function indicators, dark adaptation, iron status indicators, anthropometrics, gut integrity, and thyroid function.

Inclusion criteria

• Low vitamin A status (retinol binding protein (RBP) at the lowest end of the distribution will be included in the study)

Exclusion criteria

• History or signs of infectious or systemic diseases (e.g. tuberculosis, sickle cell anaemia)
• Anaemia, malaria or acute inflammation at the day of baseline measurements