Uro-Chukwu H.C^1-3*, Okari, K.A⁴, Uro-Chukwu FNC² and Uro-Chukwu FCU²

¹Department of Medical Biochemistry, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Nigeria
²Institute for Nutrition, Nutraceuticals and Public Health Research and Development, Nigeria
³Department of Community Medicine, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
⁴Department of Medical Biochemistry, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author: Uro-Chukwu, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Nigeria.

Received: January 21, 2025; Published: February 07, 2025

Abstract

Background: The global prevalence of Diabetes mellitus and its estimated percentage growth make it a chronic disease of Public Health importance, with a focus on how best to reduce the alarming high care cost and seek cheaper alternative and acceptable management options, among which is the utilization of readily accessible and culturally acceptable food-based nutritional therapy. Plant foods such as Bambara groundnut (BGN) is available, cheap and acceptable across regions with previous studies suggestive of the presence of bioactive compounds that can be useful in non-communicable disease therapy, hence the aim of this work to establish the effects of administration of high concentrations of BGN extract on the biochemical parameters in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Methodology: BGN were sourced from an open market and processed into pellets that were oven-dried at 600C and stored for later use. Forty-two male albino rats with weights that ranged between 134 and 247 grams were procured and acclimatized before inducing Insulin resistance using 10% fructose diet. In order to induce type-2 diabetes mellitus in these rats, Streptozotocin (STZ) was used intra-peritoneally and those with T2DM, administered with prepared BGN formulations for twenty-eight days, at the end of which blood samples were collected from the killed animals for biochemical assessment.

Results and Discussion: When compared with the values obtained from the standard control group, the BGN-administered group exhibited lower random blood glucose values, significantly lower MDA value (12.77 mg/g versus 10.98 mg/g), lower total bilirubin value, significantly lower total cholesterol value (113.34 mg/dl versus 110.25 mg/dl) and lower mean urea level (14.20 mg/dl versus 12.98 mg/dl).

Conclusion: BGN formulation at higher concentration had better hypocholesterolaemic effects, better hypoglycemic effect, showed higher potency in free radical mop up, exhibited milder anti-inflammatory activities, and had higher potency in the renal tissue protection, when compared to a standard anti-diabetic drug. It is therefore possible that the incorporation of BGN in the nutritional management of T2DM can be of immense health benefit.

Keywords: Biochemical; Bambara Groundnut; Diabetic Rats

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Citation

Citation: Uro-Chukwu HC., et al. “Lipid Profile and other Biochemical Changes in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats Fed on High Concentration of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranean), Flour". Acta Scientific Nutritional Health 9.3 (2025): 08-19.

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Copyright: © 2025 Uro-Chukwu HC., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.