Starch composition, glycemic indices, antioxidant properties and carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes activities of African star apple fruit parts.

BACKGROUND: African star apple (Chrysophyllum albidum) is a traditonal fruit, which is predominant in tropical regions with the fruit parts consumed by the populace and used in folklore to manage diabetes. However, the likely activity mechanism is still undetermined. The current study examined and compared the inhibitory abilities of African star apple fruit parts on selected key enzymes related to diabetes mellitus in the pancreas tissue of rat. METHODS: Inhibitory effect of aqueous extract (1:10 w/v) of African star apple fruit parts (pulp, cotyledon, seed coat and pulp coat) on the activities of α-amylase, α-glucosidase, as well as their starch composition, phenolic constituents, estimated glycemic index, and antioxidant properties were assessed. RESULTS: The fruit parts showed low sugar, eGI, amylose, and amylopectin contents. The analysis also showed that the fruit parts inhibited α-glucosidase and α-amylase activities and exhibited antioxidant properties. Furthermore, the fruit parts contain high concentrations of beta-amyrin acetate, eleagine, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, skatole, stigmasterol and tetrahydro - 2- methylharman as revealed by HPLC-DAD. CONCLUSION: The fruit part low estimated glycemic indices, strong antioxidant properties, inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities exhibited might be related to the bioactive compounds contained in the extract. This could also be a potential mechanism for the use in the prevention and management of type-2 diabetes. Nevertheless, the African star apple pulp coat displayed the highest property in comparison to other parts of the fruit.

Effect of dietary inclusion of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L) seed on nephrotoxicity occasioned by cisplatin in experimental rats.

The study evaluated the effect of dietary inclusion of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L) seed (raw and roasted) on nephrotoxicity caused by cisplatin in rats. Rats were divided into control group, cisplatin-induced nephrotoxic untreated group, nephrotoxic-treated groups with Methimazole, dietary regimen containing raw pumpkin seed (5% and 10%) and roasted pumpkin seed (5% and 10%) for 14 days. Results acquired uncovered that cisplatin intoxication significantly increased (p ≤ .05) the levels of renal biomarkers, arginase activity, 8-hydroxy-21 -deoxy guanosine (8-OHdG), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels as well as significant decrease in functional sulfhydryl groups, nitric oxide levels, and antioxidant enzyme activities in rats' kidney when compared to the control group. These adverse changes, due to cisplatin inebriation in rodents, were in any case, forestalled by pre-treatment with pumpkin seed inclusive diet. This holds promise for the use of pumpkin seed as a food supplement in the management of nephrotoxic-related disorders. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: These results suggest that roasted pumpkin seed appears to be more nephroprotective than the raw pumpkin seed through regulations of arginase activity, enhancement in the antioxidant system, suppression of renal markers and lipid peroxidation. This holds p-omise for the use of roasted pumpkin seed as a food supplement in the management nephrotoxic-related disorders.

African star apple fruit pulp-supplemented diet modulates fertility-related biomolecules in the testis and epididymis of high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

This study evaluated the modulatory effect of African star apple fruit (ASAF) pulp inclusive diet on biomolecules associated with reproductive function in the testis and epididymis of high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetic male rats. The rats were divided into seven groups: control, diabetic control, diabetic rats treated with metformin, diabetic rats served with diet having 5 and 10% ASAF, respectively, and control rats served with diet containing 5%, and 10% ASAF respectively for 14 days. There were noticeable decrease in sperm parameters, reproductive hormone, glycogen, nitric oxide, total thiol, nonprotein thiol levels, and testicular 3ß- and 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities and concomitant increase in cholesterol, reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde levels, and arginase activity compared to the control. Nevertheless, ASAFs reversed all these parameters toward the control levels. Therefore, these findings suggest that ASAF pulp-supplemented diet might be an active approach in controlling male reproductive dysfunction induced by diabetes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The results suggest that ASAF pulp-supplemented diet might be an active approach in controlling male reproductive dysfunction induced by diabetes through alterations in the levels of blood glucose, glycogen, cholesterol, nitric oxide, reproductive hormones, activities of steroidogenic enzymes, arginase, and sperm characteristics as well as the antioxidant status in the testes and epididymis.