ABSTRACT
Background: Laboratory animals are commonly fed on cereal-based diets (CBDs) whose nutrient composition is unknown and may confound the metabolic response to study interventions. Purified diets such as AIN-93M are therefore recommended, as their nutrient composition is known. However, few studies have evaluated their use as adequate control diets. The aim of this study was to compare the nutrition status of Swiss albino mice fed on either CBD or AIN-93M for 15 weeks. Methods: Twenty Swiss albino mice aged 6-8 weeks and weighing 21.7 g ± 0.6 were fed on either CBD or AIN-93M diet for 15 weeks. Their nutritional status was evaluated using anthropometric and hematological indices, serum glucose, total protein, albumin, and total cholesterol to select an appropriate normal control diet. Results: The CBD had low-calorie content (2.57 kcal/g) and protein (11 ± 3.8 g/100 g) compared to AIN-93M (3.8 kcal/g and 14 g/100 g, respectively). The BMI of male mice fed on CBD and AIN-93M diets was significantly higher (P=0.0139 and P=0.0325, respectively) compared to that of females fed on similar diets. Animals in the CBD group had lower hemoglobin (15.1-16.9 g/dl) compared to those in the AIN-93M group (18.1-20.8 g/dl). Serum albumin levels were higher in both male (P=0.001) and female (P=3 × 10-6) mice fed on AIN-93M compared to those fed on CBD. Females in the AIN-93M group had higher cholesterol (P=0.026) than those in the CBD group. Conclusion: The AIN-93 diet of caloric value 3.85 kcal/g (total protein 14 g, total fat 4 g of soy bean oil, fibre 5 g, and total carbohydrate 42 g per 100 g) can be safely used as a normal control diet in long-term research studies using Swiss albino mice.
ABSTRACT
Indigenous green leafy vegetables are known to contain high levels of antioxidants and are recommended in the management of chronic diseases. However, their consumption has received lower patronage. This is partly attributed to farmers replacing the growing of indigenous green leafy vegetables with their exotic counterparts and scarce information on their nutritional benefits. This study explored the effect of cooking methods (boiling and steaming for 10 minutes) on the antioxidant activity of Amaranthus dubius, Solanum nigrum, and Curcubita maxima. Spectrometry was used to evaluate the reducing power and antihemolytic activity. Titration via the 2,6-indophenol method was used for measuring vitamin C and replacement titration for hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. Cooking the vegetables by steaming or boiling caused up to 99% reduction in the vitamin C concentration of the cooked vegetables. The antioxidant activity of the cooked vegetables varied across the species assessed and cooking method used. Steaming retained and in some instances promoted the antioxidant activity of the vegetables. The study concludes that cooking by either steaming or boiling alters the antioxidant activity of indigenous vegetables.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Amaranths leaves are rich in ascorbic acid and polyphenol compounds which have antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate their in vivo antioxidant activity. The effect of consumption of Amaranth leaf extract on in vivo antioxidant activity, catalase enzyme activity and H2O2 induced oxidative stress in Drosophila melanogaster flies was assessed. RESULTS: Consumption of Amaranth leaf extract was associated with increased survival on exposure to H2o2 in a dose dependent manner in Drosophila melanogaster flies. The study concludes that the ethanolic extract of Amaranth leaves offer protection against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress.
