Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of recommended diet namely, plantain porridge and beans with other traditional Nigerian diets on oxidative stress and lipid profile in alloxan diabetic rats. Therefore, in the design, six groups (1 non diabetic and 5 diabetic) of 7 rats each, were accordingly treated: the normal and diabetic controls were fed normal rat pellets; garri with afang soup, pounded yam with edikang ikong soup, ekpang nkukwo, and the control diet (plantain porridge with beans) respectively, were fed to the other diabetic groups. The diets and water were given ad libitium and this lasted for 15 days after which biochemical indices of oxidative stress and lipid profile were respectively determined in liver homogenates and serum of the experimental animals. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity significantly increased (p<0.05) in all diet fed rats relative to the diabetic control. Although the increase was highest in the control diet, it was not significant (p>0.05) with respect to the traditional diets. The reverse was the case with Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, which was significantly decreased in the control diet compared to the traditional diets and diabetic control. Yet the extent of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, MDA) was seen to be highest in the control diet. The effects of the traditional diets and the control diet on lipid profile were similar. These traditional diets could be more effective in amelioration of oxidative stress in dietary management of diabetes mellitus.

Key words: Traditional diets, oxidative stress, lipid profile, diabetes mellitus.