University of Illinois (U. of I.) researcher, Juan Andrade, and his team, collaborated with organizations, including the Office of Food for Peace at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to address the malnutrition of children in low-income areas by creating calorie and nutrient-dense ready-to-use food (RUF) products.

RUF’s are typically a supplementary food, much like a peanut butter or nut spread, that provides needed calories, protein, and fats, like omega-3 fatty acids, which enhance brain development and provide anti-inflammatory benefits. They can also be used as a ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF).

“For the most part, these technologies address the nutrient needs of these children, however it’s been pondered how we can enhance the functionality of these RUTFs. We ask if we can target parasitic infection at the same time we’re addressing nutrition,” according to Andrade.

In a recent study, Andrade and his team, along with Theresa Kuhlenschmidt and Mark Kuhlenschmidt, from veterinary medicine at U. of I., focused on infection from the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. Crypto infection is one of the leading causes of persistent diarrhea among children in low-resource, low-income areas. Crypto infections in children have been of particular concern in India, where there are more cases—through contaminated water—of Crypto than flatworms or roundworms.

Andrade and his team looked at the use of oregano essential oil in fighting the infectivity of the Crypto parasite. Other essential plant oils have been used in Ayurvedic medicine to address parasitic infection. Oregano essential oil, consisting of a mix of different phenolics, mostly carvacrol and thymol, acts as a bioactive and has shown activity against many gram-negative bacteria, Andrade explains, but adds that there is no literature on its effect against Crypto.

NIFA supports this research through the Hatch Act funding.

To learn more about this research, read the full story at U. of I. College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

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