Prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in Brazilian women of childbearing age: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Use of phytic acid from rice bran combined with sodium erythorbate as antioxidants in chicken mortadella

The antioxidant effect of purified phytic acid (PPA) from rice bran (rice polishing by-product) combined with sodium erythorbate (SE) was evaluated for the first time in mortadella (added with 60% mechanically separated meat), a cured product with high-fat content and highly prone to oxidation, characteristic in Brazil. PPA proved effective compared to standard analytical grade phytic acid (SPA). Two central composite rotational designs (CCRD) (A and B) were employed to investigate the influence of PPA and SE, and SPA and SE, respectively, on mortadella lipid oxidation evaluated by TBARS after 30 days at 30 °C. Due to the high phytic acid's potent antioxidant capacity, the combination of PPA and SE synergistically reduced mortadella lipid oxidation. Furthermore, PPA from rice bran effectively controlled lipid oxidation in mortadella when combined with SE in the range of 5.0 to 9.0 mmol/kg of SPA and 25.0 to 50.0 mmol/kg of SE.

Anaemia among school children of different socioeconomical status in a city of Southern Brazil

Background: Iron deficiency is one of the leading causes of anaemia, with those most affected being children and women of childbearing age, in Brazil there is a scarcity of studies involving the local prevalence of anaemia. Aim: To evaluate anaemia and associated factors in schoolchildren in Santa Cruz do Sul through the analysis of biochemical and haematological markers and parasitological examination of faeces. Subjects and methods: School children from 10 to 12 years of age were evaluated through complete blood count, serum ferritin, C-reactive protein and stool parasitological examination, as well as socio-demographic characteristics and prophylaxis with ferrous sulphate in childhood. Results: It was found that 13.0% of the population was anaemic, girls were very slightly overrepresented among the anaemic children. Only 5.3% had altered haematocrit levels; 26.6% had low Mean Corpuscular Volume levels; 18.4% had low ferritin levels; 2.4% had increased C-reactive protein levels, and 21.7% had altered eosinophils. As for the socioeconomic level, classes A2 and D presented lower haemoglobin levels, as well as class D presenting lower ferritin levels, although without statistical significance. Only 6.0% of the population presented iron-deficiency anaemia and 46.0% of the schoolchildren had used ferrous sulphate supplementation in childhood. Conclusion: The prevalence of anaemia in the studied municipality is low, probably due to the high municipal human development index. Epidemiological studies are essential to characterise the population in a systematic form, to prevent future problems.

The Prevalence of Nutritional Anaemia in Brazilian Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Despite the global tendency of maternal anaemia to decline, the persistence of anaemia in Brazil is an important health problem given its vulnerability to deficiencies and the significant increase in nutritional requirements during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of anaemia in Brazilian pregnant women through a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. The systematic review was carried out according to Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses PRISMA checklist recommendations and using the following electronic databases: Medline, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Lilacs, Scielo, Google Scholar, and CAPES Catalog of Theses and Dissertations. Studies that presented a prevalence of anaemia data in Brazilian pregnant women, considering all gestational trimesters, were included. The total sample included 12,792 pregnant women covering all gestational trimesters. The pooled prevalence of anaemia in Brazilian pregnant women was 23% (95% CI: 20-27), with the highest prevalence in the Northeast Region at 26% (95% CI 23-29), while the lowest prevalence was observed in the North Region with 17% (95% CI 14-20). Among the subgroups, no statistical difference was observed. The prevalence of anaemia status in Brazil is still classified as a moderate public health problem according to the World Health Organization maternal anaemia classification.