ABSTRACT The effects of vitamins E and C supplementation on growth performance and biochemical and haematological parameters of Japanese quail were studied. A total of 360 one-day-old Japanese female quails were randomly allocated to nine dietary treatment groups (10 birds per replicate and 4 replicates per treatment), including a control (basal diet) and the basal diet supplemented with: 250 or 500 mg/kg of vitamin C, 250 or 500 mg/kg of vitamin E, 250 mg/kg of both vitamins E and C, 250 and 500 mg/kg of vitamins E and C, 500 and 250 mg/kg of vitamins E and C, and 500 mg/kg of both vitamins E and C. Vitamin supplementation improved productive parameters and raised the blood plasma levels of protein, thyroid-stimulating hormone, calcium and phosphorus, while decreased those of glucose, uric acid, creatinine and triglycerides, as well as lowered the activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase. Leukocyte count as well as the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio decreased and red blood cell count increased in the supplemented groups. The results obtained support that the simultaneous supplementation with vitamins E and C has greater positive effects on growth performance, metabolism indicators and haematological parameters than their supplementation separately, which in turn shows improvements over the absence of supplementation.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: The identification of obesity in childhood is complicated because the height continues to increase and body composition is constantly changing, the diagnosis is currently done through growth patterns proposed by the WHO, however diverse anthropometric indicators have been proposed for equivalent detection. OBJECTIVE: To determinate the diagnostic accuracy of waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) for identification of childhood overweight and obesity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional and analytical study with a sample of 1001 schoolchildren (aged 9 to 11-years). Anthropometric measurements of weight, height, WC and hip circumference were obtained. BMI, WHtR and WHR were calculated. The correlation of anthropometric indexes vs BMI was assessed and a ROC curve analysis was performed taking as a study variable: WC, WHtR and WHR and as baseline the BMI percentiles (WHO, 2007). Sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), areas under the curve (AUC), positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) of anthropometric indicators and cutoffs points that identify overweight and obesity were obtained. RESULT: The WC and WHtR showed strong positive correlation (r=0.75, 0.69, respectively; p < 0.001), but the correlation was weak for the WHR (r=0.23; p < 0.0001). WC and WHtR showed high ABC, Se, Sp, PPV and NPV for the identification of childhood-obesity. CONCLUSION: WC and WHtR has a high predictive power to identify childhood-obesity but not for overweight. The suggested cut-off points for the diagnosis of childhood-obesity between 9 and 11 years are 70cm for WC and 0.5 for ICT for both genders.

Resumen: INTRODUCCIÓN: la identificación de obesidad durante la infancia es complicada debido a que la talla sigue incrementándose y la composición corporal está cambiando constantemente; actualmente su diagnóstico se realiza por medio de los patrones de crecimiento propuestos por la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS); sin embargo, se han propuesto diversos indicadores antropométricos para una detección equivalente. OBJETIVO: determinar la precisión diagnóstica del perímetro de cintura, el índice cintura-talla y el índice cintura-cadera para la identificación de sobrepeso y obesidad infantil. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: estudio transversal y analítico con una muestra de 1,001 escolares (9-11 años) de ambos géneros. Se hicieron las mediciones antropométricas (peso, talla, perímetro de cintura y perímetro de cadera) y se calculó el índice de masa corporal, índice cintura-talla e índice cintura-cadera. Se evaluó la correlación de los índices antropométricos vs. el índice de masa corporal y se efectuó un análisis de curvas ROC tomando como variable de estudio el perímetro de cintura, índice cintura-talla e índice cintura-cadera y como parámetro de referencia los percentiles de índice de masa corporal (OMS, 2007). Se obtuvieron la sensibilidad, especificidad, las áreas bajo la curva, el valor predictivo positivo y negativo de los indicadores antropométricos y los puntos de corte que identifican sobrepeso y obesidad. RESULTADOS: el perímetro de cintura y el índice cintura-talla tienen una alta correlación positiva (r = 0.75, 0.69, respectivamente; p < 0.001), pero la correlación fue débil para el índice cintura-cadera (r = 0.23; p < 0.001). El perímetro de cintura e índice cintura-talla mostraron grandes áreas bajo la curva, sensibilidad, especificidad, valor predictivo positivo y valor predictivo negativo para la identificación de obesidad infantil. CONCLUSIÓN: el perímetro de cintura y el índice cintura-talla tienen un alto poder predictivo para identificar obesidad infantil, no así para sobrepeso. Los puntos de corte sugeridos para el diagnóstico de obesidad infantil entre 9 y 11 años son de 70 cm para perímetro de cintura y 0.5 para índice cintura-talla en ambos géneros.