Diriba Bekere KumssaUniversity of Nottingham | Notts · Nutrition Food Science and Dietetics
Diriba Bekere Kumssa
BSc, MSc, PhD
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84
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Introduction
Additional affiliations
October 1996 - July 2008
February 2017 - present
October 2013 - April 2017
Education
October 2013 - February 2017
Publications
Publications (84)
lobally, more than 800 million people are undernourished while >2 billion people have one or more chronic micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs). More than 6% of global mortality and morbidity burdens are associated with undernourishment and MNDs. Here we show that, in 2011, 3.5 and 1.1 billion people were at risk of calcium (Ca) and zinc (Zn) deficienc...
Magnesium (Mg) is an essential mineral micronutrient in humans. Risks of dietary Mg deficiency are affected by the quantity of Mg ingested and its bioavailability, which is influenced by the consumption of other nutrients and ‘anti-nutrients’. Here, we assess global dietary Mg supplies and risks of dietary deficiency, including the influence of oth...
Dietary mineral deficiencies are widespread globally causing a large disease burden. However, estimates of deficiency prevalence are often only available at national scales or for small population sub-groups with limited relevance for policy makers.
Methods
This study combines food supply data from the Third Integrated Household Survey of Malawi w...
Use of zinc (Zn) fertilisers may be cost-effective in increasing crop yields and in alleviating dietary Zn deficiency. However, Zn fertilisers are underutilised in many countries despite the widespread occurrence of Zn-deficient soils. Here, increased Zn fertiliser-use scenarios were simulated for wheat production in Punjab and Sindh Provinces, Pak...
Background
Moringa oleifera (MO) and M. stenopetala (MS) (family Moringaceae; order Brassicales) are multipurpose tree/shrub species. They thrive under marginal environmental conditions and produce nutritious edible parts. The aim of this study was to determine the mineral composition of different parts of MO and MS growing in their natural environ...
Background
Inadequate dietary zinc (Zn) supplies and Zn deficiency (ZnD) are prevalent in Ethiopia, where cereals are major dietary sources, yet low in bioavailable Zn. Zinc agronomic biofortification (ZAB) of staple crops through application of Zn fertilizers may contribute to alleviating ZnD. However, large-scale promotion and adoption of ZAB req...
Working across agriculture–nutrition domains, nutrition balance sheets provide farm-to-fork estimates of the availability of dietary nutrients for human consumption.
Recent surveys have revealed substantial spatial variation in the micronutrient composition of cereals in Ethiopia, where a single national micronutrient concentration values for cereal grains are of limited use for estimating typical micronutrient intakes. We estimated the district-level dietary mineral supply of staple cereals, combining district...
The dataset comprises primary data for the concentration of 29 mineral micronutrients in cereal grains and up to 84 soil chemistry properties from GeoNutrition project surveys in Ethiopia and Malawi. The work provided insights on geospatial variation in the micronutrient concentration in staple crops, and the potential influencing soil factors. In...
Introduction:
Selenium (Se) is an essential mineral for livestock health and productivity. In cattle, Se deficiency is associated with delayed conception, growth retardation, and increased morbidity and mortality.
Methods:
We conducted a survey of cattle serum (n = 224) and feed (n = 81) samples from two areas with contrasting human and cereal g...
Abstract Dietary zinc (Zn) deficiency is widespread globally, and in particular among people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In Malawi, dietary sources of Zn are dominated by maize and spatially dependent variation in grain Zn concentration, which will affect dietary Zn intake, has been reported at distances of up to ~ 100 km. The aim of this study wa...
Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) remain widespread among people in sub-Saharan Africa1–5, where access to sufficient food from plant and animal sources that is rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) is limited due to socioeconomic and geographical reasons4–6. Here we report the micronutrient composition (calcium, iron, selenium and zinc) o...
Background: Potassium (K) is an essential mineral and major intracellular electrolyte involved in the regulation of blood pressure, muscle contraction and nerve transmission in humans. Major dietary sources of K include fruits and vegetables, starchy roots and tubers, and whole grains. The aim of this study was to assess and report: (i) the suffici...
If you would like to contribute to the special issue of Animals, "Minerals in Animal Production" (https://mdpi.com/si/82187), please feel free to do so. We accept original research articles, reviews, and short communications including but not limited to the following themes:
• Mineral nutrition of animals under intensive farming
systems (aquacultur...
Aim
Magnesium (Mg) deficiency (known as grass tetany) is a serious metabolic disorder that affects grazing ruminants. We tested whether Mg-fertiliser can increase Mg concentration of Italian ryegrasses (Lolium multiflorum L.) including a cultivar (cv. Bb2067; ‘Magnet’), bred to accumulate larger concentrations of Mg.
Methods
Under controlled envir...
AimThe World Health Organisation (WHO) magnesium (Mg) estimated average requirement (EAR) is not adjusted for rise in human body weight (BW) and neglects body Mg stores depletion. Cereal grain food processing results in Mg loss and reduces dietary Mg intake which mainly originates from cereals. Here we reassess human dietary Mg deficiency risk cons...
Grain and soil were sampled across a large part of Amhara, Ethiopia in a study motivated by prior evidence of selenium (Se) deficiency in the Region's population. The grain samples (teff, Eragrostis tef, and wheat, Triticum aestivum) were analysed for concentration of Se and the soils were analysed for various properties, including Se concentration...
Selenium (Se) is an essential element for human health. However, our knowledge of the prevalence of Se deficiency is less than for other micronutrients of public health concern such as iodine, iron and zinc, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Studies of food systems in SSA, in particular in Malawi, have revealed that human Se deficiency risks...
Hypomagnesaemic tetany (HypoMgT) in ruminants is a physiological disorder caused by inadequate intake or impaired absorption of magnesium (Mg) in the gut. If it is not detected and treated in time, HypoMgT can cause the death of the affected animal. A semi-structured questionnaire survey was conducted from July 2016–2017 to assess farmers’ awarenes...
Selenium (Se) is an essential human micronutrient. Deficiency of Se decreases the activity of selenoproteins and can compromise immune and thyroid function and cognitive development, and increase risks from non-communicable diseases. The prevalence of Se deficiency is unknown in many countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Here we report...
Selenium (Se) is an essential human micronutrient. Deficiency of Se decreases the activity of selenoproteins and can compromise immune and thyroid function and cognitive development, and increase risks from non-communicable diseases. The prevalence of Se deficiency is unknown in many countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Here we report...
Moringa oleifera (MO) and M. stenopetala (MS) are two commonly cultivated species of the Moringaceae family. Some households in southern Ethiopia (S. ETH) and Kenya (KEN) plant MS and MO, respectively. The edible parts of these species are rich in amino acids, vitamins and minerals, especially selenium. Despite their nutritional value, Moringa is s...
Information sheet for participants.
(PDF)
Questionnaire used for the survey in Kenya.
(PDF)
Consent form provided to the respondents prior to interview.
(PDF)
Questionnaire used for the survey in southern Ethiopia.
(PDF)
The quantity, quality and variety of food ingested by humans largely determines the intake of the essential mineral micronutrients required for normal human physiological functioning, growth and development. Inadequate dietary intake, low bioavailability, and failure of the human body to utilize ingested essential minerals lead to mineral micronutr...
Test of normality of the distribution of MO leaves elemental concentration by locality in Kenya.
(PDF)
Levene’s test of homogeneity of variances of MO leaves elemental concentration by localities in Kenya based on mean and median.
D.f. 1 is the degree of freedom of the numerator, and d.f. 2 is the degree of freedom of the denominator.
(PDF)
Levene’s test of homogeneity of variances of MO immature pods elemental concentration by localities.
(PDF)
Levene’s test of homogeneity of variances of MO seeds elemental concentration by localities.
(PDF)
Descriptive statistics for MS leaves elemental concentration (mg kg-1) by locality.
(PDF)
Descriptive statistics for MO seeds elemental concentration (mg kg-1) by locality.
(PDF)
Welch’s robust test of equality of mean elemental concentrations in MO and MS leaves.
d.f. 1 (degrees of freedom of the numerator), d.f. 2 (degrees of freedom of the denominator), and the p (probability value).
(PDF)
Descriptive statistics on elemental concentration (mg kg-1) of plant Certified Reference Materials (CRM).
(PDF)
Test of normality of the distribution of MS leaves elemental concentration by locality.
(PDF)
Levene’s test of homogeneity of variances of MS leaves elemental concentration by localities based on mean and median.
D.f. 1 is the degree of freedom of the numerator, and d.f. 2 is the degree of freedom of the denominator.
(PDF)
Descriptive statistics for MO flowers elemental concentration (mg kg-1) by locality.
(PDF)
Spearman’s rank correlation (N = 32, d.f. = 30) between the elemental concentration of MS leaves and soil properties.
(PDF)
Welch’s robust test of equality of mean elemental concentrations in MO leaves across localities in Kenya.
d.f. 1 (degrees of freedom of the numerator), d.f. 2 (degrees of freedom of the denominator), and the p probability value.
(PDF)
Welch’s robust tests of equality of mean soil elemental concentrations across localities.
d.f. 1 (degrees of freedom of the numerator), d.f. 2 (degrees of freedom of the denominator), and the p (probability value).
(PDF)
Correlation between the elemental composition of MO and brassica (BO) leaves.
** Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). N = 3.
(PDF)
Number of Moringa edible part samples collected from Ethiopia and Kenya by locality and species.
MO, M. oleifera, MS, M. stenopetala.
(PDF)
Number of soil samples (n) collected from the different localities in Ethiopia and Kenya.
(PDF)
Descriptive statistics of MO leaves elemental concentration (mg kg-1) by locality.
(PDF)
Descriptive statistics for MO immature pods elemental concentration (mg kg-1) by locality.
(PDF)
Descriptive statistics for soil elemental concentration (mg kg-1) and pH by locality.
(PDF)
The t probabilities for the Spearman’s rank correlation between the elemental concentration of MO leaves and soil properties.
Significant correlations are in bold.
(PDF)
Welch’s robust test of equality of mean elemental concentrations in MS leaves across localities.
d.f. 1 (degrees of freedom of the numerator), d.f. 2 (degrees of freedom of the denominator), and the p (probability value).
(PDF)
Welch’s robust test of equality of mean elemental concentrations in MO immature pods across localities.
d.f. 1 (degrees of freedom of the numerator), d.f. 2 (degrees of freedom of the denominator), and the p (probability value).
(PDF)
Raw data on MO and MS edible parts elemental concentration (mg kg-1), and sample details.
(PDF)
Raw data on phosphate-extractable soil selenium (Se-P) concentration (mg kg-1) and sample details.
(PDF)
Descriptive statistics on elemental concentration (mg kg-1) of soil Certified Reference Materials (CRM) (2711A).
(PDF)
Shapiro-Wilk test of normality of the distribution of soil elemental concentration by locality.
(PDF)
Levene’s test of homogeneity of variances of soil elemental concentration based on mean and median.
D.f. 1 is the degree of freedom of the numerator, and d.f. 2 is the degree of freedom of the denominator.
(PDF)
Test of normality of the distribution of MO immature pods elemental concentration by locality.
(PDF)
Test of normality of the distribution of MO seeds elemental concentration by locality.
(PDF)
Test of normality of the distribution of MO flowers elemental concentration by locality.
(PDF)
Levene’s test of homogeneity of variances of MO flowers elemental concentration by localities.
(PDF)
Spearman’s rank correlation (N = 56, d.f. = 54) between the elemental concentration of MO leaves and soil properties.
(PDF)
The t probabilities for the Spearman’s rank correlation between the elemental concentration of MS leaves and soil properties.
Significant correlations are in bold.
(PDF)
Welch’s robust test of equality of mean elemental concentrations in MO seeds across localities.
d.f. 1 (degrees of freedom of the numerator), d.f. 2 (degrees of freedom of the denominator), and the p (probability value).
(PDF)
Raw data on MO and MS leaves iodine concentration (mg kg-1) and sample details.
(PDF)
Raw data on elemental concentrations (mg kg-1) in various crops and sample details.
ND = not detectable.
(PDF)
Raw data on soil elemental concentration (mg kg-1) and pH, and sample details.
(PDF)
Correlation between elemental concentrations of MO edible parts (flower, immature pod, leaf and seed).
The figures below the yellow diagonal are correlation coefficients and those above the diagonal are p values. ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). * Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). N = 18
(PDF)
Correlation between the elemental composition of MO and brassica (BO) leaves.
** Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). N = 4.
(PDF)
Welch’s robust test of equality of mean elemental concentrations in MO flowers across localities.
d.f. 1 (degrees of freedom of the numerator), d.f. 2 (degrees of freedom of the denominator), and the p (probability value).
(PDF)
Raw data on soil iodine concentration (mg kg-1) and sample details.
(PDF)
Correlation between the elemental composition of MO and amaranth leaves.
* Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). N = 6.
(PDF)
Declining soil fertility is one of the main limiting factors for maize production in smallholder farming systems. The strategy of using inorganic fertilisers to cope with this problem is being highly constrained by economic (high cost, low purchasing power of smallholders) and environmental problems (pollution). Thus, a judicious integration of bot...
The structure and composition of the soil micro‐arthropod communities of five postmining rehabilitating sites (between 1 and 24 years after rehabilitation) are compared with that of an undisturbed dune forest benchmark. We extracted soil micro‐arthropods (Acari and insects) with a modified Berlese–Tullgren funnel and used soil carbon, calcium, pota...
Calliandra calothyrsus Meissn. is a promising tropical legume browse species, but factors which control production under intensive management have not been well defined. Thus, a field experiment on this species grown as hedgerows was carried out at Bako Agricultural Research Center, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to...
A biomass transfer study on Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. in combination with different rates of inorganic fertilizer was conducted in 2000/01 cropping season at Bako Agricultural Research Center, Western Oromia, Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to determine the optimum rate of Cajanus biomass that either substitutes or supplements inorganic f...