Evaluating the Therapeutic Potential of Catfish and Fermented Sweet Potato Chocolate Paste on Malnutrition: Effects on BMI, Blood Serum, and Faecal Based Gut Inflammation in Protein-Deficient Rats

The number of stunting cases in Indonesia that reached over 21% in 2023 has been an alarming issue. Protein and mineral insufficiency as well as intestinal inflammatory as determinants can lead to worsening condition. Providing additional food by combining animal and plant-based protein in the form of a ready-to-eat food is beneficial to alleviate stunting. This study aimed to ensure the standard quality, nutritional value, level of acceptance, and outcomes of the combination of catfish, fermented sweet potato, and isolated soy protein (ISP) flours in the form of chocolate paste for stunting biomarkers. The research process encompassed product development, evaluation of product and its compliance with the regulatory standards of food contaminants, nutritional content, hedonic tests (by the panelists), and pre-clinical testing in animal models of malnutrition induced by daily protein restriction (4% protein/day). Testing the effects of substituted products on experimental animals included monitoring growth rates (body weight and body mass index), blood serum profiles, and intestinal inflammation biomarkers through faecal samples. The findings implied that the use of catfish flour 3,3%, fermented sweet potato 9,8%, and ISP 3,3% on chocolate paste classified as a high-protein product with diverse arrays of minerals. This product fulfilled the requirements for additional food standards, and met the panelists' acceptance with a mean overall score of 4.08 (like). In malnourished rats, substituted chocolate paste proven to significantly affected (p < 0.05) blood serum (albumin, total protein, calcium, zinc, iron), also significantly preventing intestinal inflammation to increase (p < 0.01), by faecal calprotectin and myeloperoxidase (MPO) value.