Short-term safety and efficacy of calcium montmorillonite clay (UPSN) in children
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Date
2014-08
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Abstract
Recently, an association between childhood growth stunting and aflatoxin (AF) exposure has been identified. In Ghana, homemade nutritional supplements often consist of AF-prone commodities. In this study, children were enrolled in a clinical intervention trial to determine the safety and efficacy of Uniform Particle Size NovaSil (UPSN), a refined calcium montmorillonite known to be safe in adults. Participants ingested 0.75 or 1.5 g UPSN or 1.5 g calcium carbonate placebo per day for 14 days. Hematological and serum biochemistry parameters in the UPSN groups were not significantly different from the placebo-controlled group. Importantly, there were no adverse events attributable to UPSN treatment. A significant reduction in urinary metabolite (AFM1) was observed in the high-dose group compared with placebo. Results indicate that UPSN is safe for children at doses up to 1.5 g/day for a period of 2 weeks and can reduce exposure to AFs, resulting in increased quality and efficacy of contaminated foods. Copyright © 2014 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Description
Keywords
Short-Term Safety, Calcium, Montmorillonite Clay, Uniform Particle Size NovaSil (UPSN), Children