RESUMEN
The present study was carried out on the phytochemical composition and biochemical studies oftheleafextract ofBrillantaisia guinensis peuvon alloxan treated Wistar albinorats.The experimental rats were administered with 80mg/kgbodyweight of alloxan,viathetailvein.After five days treatment with alloxan, thetreatment with the extractscommenced. Extracts wereadministeredorallyat100,200and 300mg/kg bw(both tonormal andtreated rats) for twenty-one days.Metformin,which served as a standard drug was administered at50mg/kg. Chromatographicanalysisof thephytochemical content of the leaf extract, revealed the presence of flavonoids (30.7mg/100g), saponins(50.6mg/100g), phytosterol (6.22mg/100g), tannins (7.50mg/100g) and glycosides(29.3mg/100g). Comparedtotest and normalcontrol,the extractsdose-dependentlyand significantlylowered(P<0.05) plasmaglucose and triglycerides, during the experimental period. Thisstudy revealedthe presence of pharma cologically bioactive compounds inthelea fextract and showed that the leaf extract had a dose-dependent hypoglycemic and hypotriglyceridemic effect on the Wistaralbino rats. The findings suggest a likely protective role of the extracts against hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia thereby useful in the treatment and management of diabetes mellitus, obesity and other related cardiovascular diseases.
RESUMEN
The effect of heat treatment on the amino acid composition of Plukenetia conophora (African walnut) seed flours was investigated. The seed kernel of Plukenetia conophora (PC) is eaten roasted or cooked mainly as indigenous snacking nut in Nigeria. The sample was divided into four lots. The 1st was used raw, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th boiled in water (99±1°C) for 45, 90, and 135 min and labeled PCraw, PC45, PC90, and PC135 respectively. The kernels were found to contain amino acids found naturally in plant protein. Glutamic acid (7.88-18.5 g/100 g protein) and aspartic acid (4.86-9.16 g/100 g protein) were the most abundant non-essential amino acids while the essential amino acid ranges were for leucine (4.50-7.80 g/100 g protein), lysine (3.65-7.09 g/100 g protein) and arginine (3.22-6.12 g/100 protein). In addition to leucine other branched-chain amino acids (Isoleucine and valine) were present in high proportion. Cooking progressively decreased the level of all amino acids. For essential amino acid, the percent decrease ranged from 6.07% for lysinein PC45 to 64% for isoleucine in PC135. Protein quality parameters such as: predicted protein efficiency ratio, total amino acid, total essential amino acid, total acidic amino acid, total neutral amino acid, total aromatic amino acid and total sulphur amino acid though decreased by cooking were comparable to those of some plant foods and recommended standards. Based on whole hen’s egg amino acids, FAO amino acid provisional pattern and Food and Nutrition Board/Institute of Medicine (FNB/IOM) pattern for 1-3-year-old child, the percentage adequacy (Essential amino acid score) of most of the essential amino acids in the samplesat all levels of cooking were high. Despite the decreasein the amino acid contents bycooking, the plant food has the potential for giving high quality protein that can be exploited to enhance protein quality in human nutrition and performance in sports.