Hypoglycemic effect and protein nutritive quality of soy and methionine-supplemented whole durum pasta products.

New low cost, high-protein and high-fiber pasta products processed from whole durum meal (WD) solely, WD supplemented with 7% or 12% defatted soy flour (SF), or 12% SF plus 0.3% methionine were evaluated in comparison with the regular pasta made of pure durum semolina (DS). Their protein nutritive quality was biologically evaluated by rat growth studies using diets containing 9% protein, through the parameters: food efficiency ratio (FER), protein efficiency ratio (PER), net protein utilization (NPU), digestibility coefficient (DC) and biological value (BV). The original products were administered to diabetic hypercholesterolemic albino rats, (injected with alloxane) to study their effects on the levels of blood glucose and plasma lipid fractions. The results indicate that diets based on pasta made of WD supplemented with SE or SF plus methionine had superior protein quality and succeeded in supporting normal growth of rats in contrast to the diets based on pasta made of unsupplemented WD or DS. These assays demonstrated that the values of FER, PER, NPU and BV of WD-pasta increased with increasing SF supplementation. However, high-fiber pasta made of unrefined WD solely or with SF had lower DC values compared to that of the regular DS-pasta. DC values decreased as the added SF increased. Adding methionine evidently affected FER, PER, BV and NPU values. Administration of high-protein and high-fiber pasta samples made of WD solely, supplemented with SF or SF plus methionine significantly reduced the elevated blood glucose as well as plasma cholesterol and plasma lipid fractions in hypercholesterolemic diabetic rats. Overall, considering nutritional evaluation, protein cost as well as hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic effects the pasta composed of 12% SF-WD and supplemented with 0.3% methionine represented the best high-fiber; high-protein and high-quality product.

The effect of sammo administration on some fundamental enzymes of pentose phosphate pathway and energy metabolites of alloxanized rats.

Sammo plant which is traditionally used in Egypt for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, was administered at low and high levels (4% and 8% respectively at the expense of starch) to adult male alloxanized albino rats, to study its effect on energy metabolism. Adenosine-5-triphosphate (ATP) in the brain (B), liver (L) and kidneys (K) organs of alloxanized rats was significantly lowered compared with the negative control. On the other hand, adenosine-5-diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine-5-monophosphate (AMP) contents in the same organs were elevated markedly. In this connection myokinase activity in cytoplasmic and mitochondrial fractions of B, L and K organs was stimulated at control. Also, the activities of some fundamental enzymes of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway i.e. glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) and 6-phospho-gluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGD) in cytoplasmic and mitochondrial fractions of the same organs were markedly increased. Administration of Sammo at low and high levels reduced the consumption of ATP in B, L and K organs relative to positive control. Whereas, ADP and AMP contents were relatively reduced. Also, myokinase activity in the same organs were relatively inhibited. The activity of G-6-PD and 6-PGD in cytoplasmic and mitochondrial fractions of the same organs were also decreased relative to the positive control.