By Ogundare, Kayode
The study examined the effects of some pulverized leafy vegetables on blood sugar levels, pancreas and liver tissues of alloxan induced adult wistar rats. Different diets were formulated using the individual green leafy vegetable (GLV) and rats chow (grower poultry feed). Chemical analyses were carried out using standard AOAC methods and spectrophotometer. Group 1 (control) consists of rats fed chow, group 2-4 consist of rats fed with 5g each of Abelmoschus esculentus, Afzelia africana and Moringa oleifera pulverized leaves per 100g (95g of rat chow + 5g vegetable) of rat chow and group 5-7 consist of rats fed with 10g each of the vegetables per (90g of rat chow + 10g vegetables). Water was given ad libitum. Biochemical analyses (fasting blood sugar and liver function enzymes) were determined using standard methods. Histological analysis was carried out according to standard procedure. The proximate composition and biochemical data collected were analyzed by using the Statistical Product for Service Solution (version 17.0). Afzelia africana had the highest concentration of carbohydrate 52.02mg/100g while Abelmoschus esculentus and Moringa oleifera had 49.37mg/100g and 44.06mg/100g respectively, Moringa oleifera had the highest content of protein 22.32mg/100g followed by Abelmoschus esculentus 18.57mg/100g and then Afzelia africana 16.99mg/100g. The moisture content of Abelmoschus esculentus 10.43mg/100g was the highest followed by Moringa oleifera 5.42mg/100g. Mineral levels of the vegetables showed that Phosphorus and zinc were the highest in Abelmoschus esculentus 6.25mg/100g and 5.41mg/100g respectively. Provitamin A and vitamin C were the highest in Moringa oleifera 14.74mg/100g and 38.26mg/100g respectively. However Afzelia africana showed the highest concentration of vitamin E. The phytochemical analyses showed that Abelmoschus esculentus had the highest concentration of anthocyanin, phenol, saponin and tannin as 1.37mg/100g, 0.77mg/100g, 087mg/100g and 0.04mg/100g respectively; Afzelia africana had highest concentration of caroteniod, alkaloids and steroids as 0.69mg/100g, 9.21mg/100g and 5.92mg/100g respectively and Moringa oleifera had the highest concentration of flavonoid and oxalate as 9.17mg/100g and 0.44mg/100g respectively. Biochemical result showed that fasting blood sugar of the experimental rats decreased significantly (p < 0.05) different in all the groups from the first 7days to the last day of treatment as compared with the baseline. However the percentage difference showed a more decrease in the groups fed 10% dose than the groups fed with 5% of each of the vegetables when compared with the control. The activity of AST increased generally in all treatment groups relative to the control group. However, the increase in AST activity showed significant (p < 0.05) difference relative to the control. The ALT activity increased in the treatment group except for 10% A. esculentus and M. oleifera that showed decreased activity significantly (p < 0.05) relative to the control. The ALP activity of the groups fed with 5% A. africana and M. oleifera increased relative to the control. The increase was significantly (p < 0.05) different, while the ALP activity of the 5% A. esculentus groups and 10% A. esculentus, A. africana and M. oleifera decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in relation to the control. Liver tissue of the rats fed with 5% and 10% of the vegetables did not show any deviation from hepatic histo- architecture and the pancreatic tissue of the rats with 10% A. esculentus and M. oleifera showed normal pancreatic histo- architecture when compared with the control but 5% A. esculentus, A. africana and M. oleifera respectively and 10% A. africana groups showed decrease in the size and number of pancreatic islet. Results showed a remarkable effect in lowering the blood sugar level in a diabetic rat and control the effects of the vegetables on liver and pancreatic tissues based on the level of consumptions which showed the leaves potentials.