Ms. Shruti Kaushikbhai Bhatt will present her APS as per the details below:
Date: 29th April 2025
Time: 1130 – 1300 hrs.
Venue: Conference Room No.1
Title: Development of Ready-to-Use, Nutritious, Food-based Sprinkler for undernourished children
Guide: – Prof. Satish B Agnihotri, Prof. Amit Arora
RPC Members: Prof. Parmeshwar Udmale, Prof. K V Venkatesh
Abstract:
Sprinkler, an all-natural plant-based nutritional formulation, demonstrates significant potential for enhancing anthropometric parameters, immunity, and overall wellbeing in undernourished children under five years of age. The product's detailed nutritional profile reveals a rich composition of macronutrients and type II micronutrients, coupled with a six-month shelf life and absence of allergens or harmful chemical residues, as confirmed by safety analyses. A systematic evaluation of processing methods was conducted to address bioavailability challenges inherent to plant-based formulations to reduce antinutrient content. This step-wise approach optimized mineral bioavailability, with Caco2 cell line experiments demonstrating Sprinkler's superior calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron delivery compared to 11 commercially available products.
Sensory evaluation involving 68 children and their caregivers showed 85% preference for Sprinkler-fortified khichadi over plain khichdi, indicating strong consumer acceptance over various parameters. The formulation's efficacy in improving mineral absorption aligns with its sensory appeal, creating a viable pathway for addressing micronutrient deficiencies in early childhood. Current techno-commercial analyses focus on long-term financial sustainability, examining production scalability, cost-effectiveness, and market penetration strategies. These studies aim to position Sprinkler as a scalable solution within public health nutrition programs, leveraging its plant-based composition and demonstrated nutritional advantages. Together, these findings underscore Sprinkler's potential as a safe, palatable, and biologically effective intervention to support child growth and development, with ongoing research guiding its transition from prototype to sustainable product.