Comparative Analysis of the Anti-diabetic Effects of Cocoyam, Soya Bean & Bambara Groundnut Flour Fed Differently to Streptozotocin (STZ)-Induced Diabetic Rats

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) with the common type, being, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, affects a vast population globally especially within the age range of 20 – 79 years, with the need for cure being prioritized by the World Health Organization, who champions the use of cheaper treatment strategies as a result. Food-based approach including use of medical plants have been canvassed as a preventive and Public Health remedy for the management of DM. Plants foods like Cocoyam (CYN), soya bean (SB), and Bambara groundnut (BGN) have been reported to have health benefits, and hence the need in this study to evaluate and compare the anti-diabetic effects in diabetic rats.

Methodology: Cocoyam (CYN), soya bean (SB), and Bambara groundnut (BGN) were processed into fine flour, pelletized, oven-dried at 60°C, and stored in airtight container for future use. Insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes were induced with low fructose diet and intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin respectively on fifty-eight male albino rats with weight range of 134 to 247 g. The intervention formulations were administered for 28 days, while blood samples were collected from the killed animals for random and fasting blood glucose levels.

Results and Discussion: The reports from the study revealed a mean random blood glucose (RBG) levels that changed over the time trend (F=13.963, p<0.001) with a similar group pattern in weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4 (F=79.106, p<0.01) (F=76.755, p<0.001). The mean value of the random blood glucose in the rat group fed on Bambara groundnut (BGN) was better than that of the SB group, which was better than that of the group given CYN (BGN>SB>CYN). When the intervention groups were compared with the control group, the CYN and SB groups had better anti-diabetic outcomes.

Conclusion: Plant foods, Bambara groundnut, Soya bean and Cocoyam possess anti-diabetic properties but the potency of the hypoglycemic effects when compared showed that Bambara groundnut was more effective in glycemic control in diabetic rats and hence can be used as an additional therapeutic adjunct in the management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus.