Physicochemical composition and antioxidant properties of a sweetpotato variety (Ipomoea batatas L) commercially sold in South Eastern Nigeria

The physicochemical composition, functional properties, inhibitory actions and energy value of the flour of a cream fleshed sweetpotato variety (TIS/87/0087) that is high yielding and commercially sold in South Eastern Nigeria were investigated using standard techniques. The flour was observed to have good functional properties with a pH of 5.32±0.01, high percentage moisture content, indicative of poor shelf life characteristics and high chances of being attacked by microbes, low percentage dry matter, lipid, crude fibre and ash contents but a promising source of starch (20.78±0.02%), carotene (5.0±0.04 μg/g), protein (2.67±0.59%), carbohydrate (40.77±3.05%), energy (179.61±20.97 kcal/100 g), polyphenols, in addition to containing significant quantities of reducing sugar (1.58±0.53%). In addition, the methanolic extract of the flour possessed higher scavenging activities on 2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical than standard quercetin. Results show that this sweet potato variety has potentials of biological properties and could have wide utility in food, alcohol and sugar industries. In addition, it could serve as a promising source of protein and its consumption could be utilized in the management of diseases that implicate free radicals. Finally, it could also be useful as a drug binder and disintegrant in pharmaceutical industries.Keywords: Sweetpotato flour, functional property, physicochemical, foodsAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(7), pp. 720-72

Ameliorative potentials of cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta L.) and unripe plantain (Musa paradisiacal L.) on renal and liver growth in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

Objective: To investigate the ameliorating potentials of cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta (C. esculenta) L.) and unripe plantain (Musa paradisiacae (M. paradisiacae) L.) incorporated feeds on renal and liver growth of STZ induced rats. Methods: The blood glucose level of all the rats was measured with a glucometer, the protein and glucose levels in the urine samples of the rats were determined using urine assay strips while the specific gravity of the urine samples of all the rats was determined with a urinometer. The assay of the proximate, phytochemical, mineral composition as well as screening for antioxidant activity of the test feeds was carried out using standard techniques. Results: The administration of the test feeds to the diabetic rats in 58.75% and 38.13% decreases in their hyperglycemia with a corresponding amelioration of their elevated urinary protein, glucose, specific gravity as well as renal and kidney growths. Administration of the cocoyam incorporated feeds to the diabetic rats of group 4, resulted in 2.71% increase in body weight with a corresponding 19.52% increase in growth rate unlike the diabetic rats of group 5, administered unripe plantain feed that had 5.12% decrease in weight with a corresponding 29.52% decrease in growth rate but higher than the diabetic control rats that recorded 28.69% and 29.46% decreases in body weights with a corresponding 248.9% and 250.14% decreases in growth rates. Analysis revealed that the test feeds contained low quantities of moisture but significant quantities of crude fibre, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, ash, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, phosphorous as well as considerable amount of energy. In addition, the cocoyam incorporated feeds contained higher quantities of flavonoids, saponin, tannin, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, K, P, crude fibre as well as antioxidant activity but lower quantities of alkaloids than the unripe plantain feed. Conclusions: The use of cocoyam and unripe plantain flours in the dietary management of diabetes mellitus could be a breakthrough in the search for plants that could prevent the development of diabetic nephropathy