EFFECT OF MAIZE-CASSAVA-SOYBEAN FLOUR BLENDS INTAKE ON BODY WEIGHT AND POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVEL OF WISTAR RATS

Abstract

 Effect of maize-cassava-soybean flour blends intake on body weight and postprandial blood glucose level of rats was investigated. The maize – cassava-soybean flours were fed to 15 wistar rats for 21days. Group MF (control) fed on 100 % maize flour; Group MCF fed on 70 % maize flour-30 % cassava flour and Group MCSF fed on 70 % maize flour- 15 % cassava flour-15 % soybean flour respectively. The blood samples of the wistar rats were collected and determined for their blood glucose levels. The result shows that the wistar rats fed on MCSF (70:15:15) had the highest feed intake (70.64 g) compared significantly to those  fed 100 % maize flour (68.59 g) and 70:30 % maize-cassava flour( 62.92 g). The rats group that fed 70: 30 % of maize-cassava flour blends had the least body weight (152.35 g) while those that fed 70:15:15 % maize-cassava-soybean flour blends had the highest body weight (184.34 g) relative to those that fed 100 % maize flour (164.06 g). The weight gain of the animals fed 100 % maize flour, 70: 30 % maize-cassava flours and 70:15: 15 % maize- cassava-soybean flour blends were 17.03 g, 2.56 g and 37.62 g respectively. Feed conversion ratio of maize-cassava based diet (24.51) was significantly higher than that of 100 % maize diet (3.98) and1.8 of maize- cassava- soybean based diet. The intake of maize-cassava flour supplemented with 15 % soybean reduced postprandial blood levels of the tested rats.

Key words: Weight, Glucose, Postprandial, Fasting, Hyperglycemia