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Nutritional Composition and Antidiabetic Potentials of Locally Formulated Functional Diets from Unripe Plantain, Soybean, Tigernut, And Dates in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats

Bernardine Robertson Oshotse, Charity Ogunka-Nnoka, Joyce O. Akaninwor

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a major metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycaemia, oxidative stress, dyslipidaemia, and progressive organ dysfunction. This study evaluated the nutritional composition and antidiabetic potentials of locally formulated diets prepared from unripe plantain, soybean, tigernut, and dates. Seven composite diets were formulated using varying proportions of the plant materials. Proximate composition, mineral composition, vitamin composition, amino acid profile, and fatty acid profile were determined using standard analytical methods. Diabetes was induced in Wistar rats using alloxan monohydrate. Fifty-five rats were randomly assigned into eleven groups (n = 5), including normal control, diabetic control, metformin-treated control, commercial flour-treated control, and seven dietary treatment groups. The experimental diets were administered for 28 days, during which fasting blood glucose levels were monitored periodically and percentage reduction calculated. The formulated diets exhibited appreciable nutritional quality with varying levels of protein, crude fibre, minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids, and beneficial fatty acids. Percentage reduction in blood glucose ranged from 60.93% to 75.58% among the treatment groups, with Sample C showing the highest glucose-lowering effect (75.58%). The diets significantly improved glycaemic response compared with the diabetic control group. Nutritional analyses further revealed substantial levels of potassium, magnesium, iron, essential amino acids, and unsaturated fatty acids, which may have contributed to the observed hypoglycaemic effects. The findings demonstrate that the locally formulated diets possess significant nutritional and antidiabetic potentials and may serve as affordable functional foods for dietary management of diabetes mellitus.

Keywords

Diabetes mellitus; Functional foods; Unripe plantain; Soybean; Tigernut; Dates; Blood glucose.

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