Weekly Roundup: DuPont launches probiotics fermentation unit, study links ADHD to maternal diet during pregnancy

29 Mar 2019 --- This week in nutrition news, DuPont launched a new probiotics fermentation unit at its facility in Rochester, New York, in a bid to increase its production capacity. The American Botanical Council (ABC) awarded Professor Otto Sticher with the 2018 ABC Norman R. Farnsworth Excellence in Botanical Research Award. In research news, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children could be modulated by the mother’s diet during pregnancy, while vitamin C supplementation may reduce the time patients stay in ICU (Intensive Care Unit).

In brief: Expansions 
DuPont has inaugurated “the largest in the world,” probiotics fermentation unit at its facility in Rochester, New York. The new unit is part of a US$100 million multiphase investment aimed at expanding DuPont’s probiotics capacity by up to 70 percent. Additionally, the unit will enhance the company’s ability to deliver good quality, clinically documented probiotics ingredients for food and beverage and dietary supplements manufacturers. “Completing the construction on our new fermentation unit marks a milestone in delivering innovations for our customers and achieving our probiotics growth plans,” says Matthias Heinzel, President, DuPont Nutrition & Health. “We are witnessing a significant rise in demand for probiotics as consumers make health and wellness a daily priority.” Previously, DuPont completed a probiotics capacity expansion at is Madison, Wisconsin, facility in late 2018. 

In brief: Awards and certifications
The ABC has announced that Professor Otto Sticher, Ph.D., has been presented with the 2018 ABC Norman R. Farnsworth Excellence in Botanical Research Award. Professor Sticher is a Swiss pharmacist, pharmacognosist and natural products chemist, who has spent 50 years investigating the quality, composition and benefits of medicinal plants. ABC presents the annual award, named in honor of the late, Professor and ABC Co-Founder Dr. Norman Farnsworth, to individuals who have made significant research contributions in the fields of pharmacognosy, ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology or other scientific disciplines related to medicinal plants.

In brief: Research and studiesADHD in children may be modulated by the mother’s diet during pregnancy, according to a Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal) study. Published in the Journal of Pediatrics, the study analyzed samples of umbilical cord plasma to quantify the levels of omega 6 and omega 3 that reach the fetus. The statistical analysis showed a higher omega 6/omega 3 ratio to be associated with a 13 percent chance of ADHD symptoms at seven years of age. “Although the association was not clinically significant, our findings are important at the level of the population as a whole,” notes Mónica López-Vicente, ISGlobal Researcher and lead author of the study.

Dietary intake of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids has been linked to having opposite effects on the severity of asthma in children, while it may play opposite roles in influencing their response to indoor air pollution. This is according to new research from Johns Hopkins University, US, published in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. According to the researchers, children with higher levels of omega 3 in their diets showed less severe asthma and fewer symptoms in response to higher levels of indoor air pollution. Children with higher levels of omega 6 in their diets had more severe asthma and more symptoms in response to indoor air pollution. The study followed 135 children, aged 5-12, 96 of which were African American. Despite some limitations, the authors believe that the research may provide better insight into the correlation between diet and asthma. “If there is a causal relationship between diet and asthma, a healthier diet may protect children with asthma, particularly minority children living in the inner city, from some of the harmful effects of air pollution,” says co-author Dr. Emily Brigham. “Among vulnerable populations, we may find that improving diet and air pollution together has the greatest impact on asthma health.”

Vitamin C supplementation may reduce the time patients stay in ICU by 8 percent on average, according to a study published in Nutrients. Dr. Harri Hemilä from the University of Helsinki, Finland and Dr. Elizabeth Chalker from the University of Sydney, Australia, conducted a systematic review of vitamin C levels in ICU patients. They identified 18 relevant controlled trials, 12 of which were included in the meta-analysis on the length of stay. “Vitamin C is a safe, low-cost essential nutrient. Given the consistent evidence from the trials published so far, vitamin C might be administered to ICU patients, although further studies are needed to find out optimal protocols for its administration,” note Dr. Hemilä and Dr. Chalker. “Common cold studies have indicated that there may be a linear dose response for vitamin C on common cold duration for up to 6 and 8 grams per day. Evidently, the dose-response for doses higher than 2 grams per day should also be investigated for ICU patients,” they say.