Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27386105›Full record

ArticleFood science & nutrition2016

Use of the wetting method on cassava flour in three konzo villages in Mozambique reduces cyanide intake and may prevent konzo in future droughts.

Dulce Nhassico, James Howard Bradbury, Julie Cliff, Rita Majonda, Constantino Cuambe, Ian C Denton, Matthew P Foster, Arlinda Martins, Adelaide Cumbane, Luis Sitoe and 2 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Food science & nutrition, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact, top 95% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated knockout ofFrontiers in plant science · 2022
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Dulce NhassicoDepartment of Biochemistry Faculdade de Medicina Universidade Eduardo Mondlane Maputo Mozambique.
James Howard BradburyEEG Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT 2601 Australia.
Julie CliffDepartment of Community Health Faculdade de Medicina Unversidade Eduardo Mondlane Maputo Mozambique.
Rita MajondaInstituto de Investigacao Agraria de Mocambique (IIAM) Nampula Mozambique.
Constantino CuambeInstituto de Investigacao Agraria de Mocambique (IIAM) Nampula Mozambique.
Ian C DentonEEG Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT 2601 Australia.
Matthew P FosterEEG Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT 2601 Australia.
Arlinda MartinsDireccao Provincial de Saude Nampula Mozambique.
Adelaide CumbaneDepartment of Biochemistry Faculdade de Medicina Universidade Eduardo Mondlane Maputo Mozambique.
Luis SitoeDepartment of Biochemistry Faculdade de Medicina Universidade Eduardo Mondlane Maputo Mozambique.
Joao PedroInstituto de Investigacao Agraria de Mocambique (IIAM) Nampula Mozambique.
Humberto MuquingueDepartment of Biochemistry Faculdade de Medicina Universidade Eduardo Mondlane Maputo Mozambique.
Eduardo Mondlane University · MZAustralian National University · AUInstituto de Investigação Agrária de Moçambique · MZInstituto Nacional de Saúde · MZ

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Konzo is an irreversible paralysis of the legs that occurs mainly in children and young women associated with large cyanide intake from bitter cassava coupled with malnutrition. In East Africa outbreaks occur during drought, when cassava plants produce much more cyanogens than normal. A wetting method that removes cyanogens from cassava flour was taught to the women of three konzo villages in Mozambique, to prevent sporadic konzo and konzo outbreaks in the next drought. The intervention was in three villages with 72 konzo cases and mean konzo prevalence of 1.2%. The percentage of children with high (>350 μmol/L) urinary thiocyanate content and at risk of contracting konzo in Cava, Acordos de Lusaka, and Mujocojo reduced from 52, 10, and 6 at baseline to 17, 0, and 4 at conclusion of the intervention. Cassava flour showed large reductions in total cyanide over the intervention. The percentage of households using the wetting method was 30-40% in Acordos de Lusaka and Mujocojo and less in Cava. If the wetting method is used extensively by households during drought it should prevent konzo outbreaks and chronic cyanide intoxication. We recommend that the wetting method be taught in all konzo areas in East Africa.

Indexed as

Cassava flourcyanidekonzourinary thiocyanatewetting method

Identifiers

PMID27386105
PMCPMC4930499
OpenAlexW2179350832

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.