Effect of Composite Flours of Finger Millet, Bambara Groundnut and ‘Khain’ (Lecaniodiscus Cupanioides) on Blood Glucose Response, Lipids, and Liver Enzymes of Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

Aims: This study is aimed at determining the effect of composite flours of Finger millet (Fm), Bambara groundnut (BGN) and ‘Khain’ (Kh) (Lecaniodiscus cupanioides) on the blood glucose response, lipids and liver enzymes levels of alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Study Design: The experiment was designed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Food Science and Technology and Department of Home Science Nutrition and Dietetics,University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Enugu State. May 2019 and July 2019

Methodology: Sixty rats were grouped into ten groups (six rats per group), housed individually in metabolic cages and were fed commercial rat chow for two weeks. After inducement with alloxan, eight groups of diabetic rats were fed with the composite flours [FK1 (95% Fm/5% Kh), FK2 (90% Fm/10% Kh), FB1K1 (95% [90% Fm/10% BGN]/5% Kh), FB1K2 (90% [90% Fm/10% BGN]/10% Kh), FB2K1 (95% [80% Fm/20%bBGN]/5% Kh), FB2K2 (90% [80% Fm/20% BGN]/10% Kh), FB3K1 (95% [70% Fm/30% BGN]/5% Kh), FB3K2 (90% [70% Fm/30% BGN]/10% Kh)] for four weeks while the two control (positive and negative) groups continued on commercial rat chow for four weeks also. The blood glucose response, blood lipids, total serum protein, albumin, urea, creatinine content, and liver enzymes were determined in the rats. The flours of Finger millet, Bambara groundnut and ‘Khain’ were analyzed for dietary fibre (DF) and phytochemical content.

Results: The total DF was higher (12.615 %) in finger millet and lower (5.375 %) in BGN. Khain had a value of 10.31 % total DF. Phenol content of samples ranged from 37.99 mg/100g for khain seed flour to 36.09 mg/100g in finger millet and tannin content of the samples ranged from 2.22 - 2.28 mg/100g. The diabetic rats groups fed with composite flours had significant (p<0.05) reduced blood glucose levels (60-86 %) compared to the positive control group (35 %), significantly reduced liver enzymes levels were observed in blood of diabetic rats groups fed with composite flours when compared to positive control group, diabetic rats groups fed with composite flours also showed weight loss, Total Cholesterol values of 149.62 – 235.3mg/dl, Triglycerides (97.96 – 153.72mg/dl), High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (46.91 – 72.53mg/dl) and Low Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (73.45 – 153.38mg/dl) values. Urea and creatinine values of the diabetic rats groups fed with composite flours were within acceptable range.

Conclusion: The reduced blood glucose and liver enzymes levels in blood of diabetic rats fed with composite flours showed that composite flours of Finger millet, Bambara groundnut and ‘Khain’ have the potentials to be used as dietetics for the prevention and management of hyperglycemia.