Abstract

EFFECTS OF DISCOREA DUMENTORUM TUBER SUPPLEMENTED DIET ON PLASMA LIPID PROFILE AND GLUCOSE LEVEL OF HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC RATS

Bejide Oluwatosin* and Ajayi Olubunmi

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to investigate the effects of Discorea dumentorum tuber supplemented diet on the plasma lipid profile and glucose level of hypercholesterolemic rats. Thirty two male albino rats (Rattus novergicus) were divided into two groups control and Group1. Rats in control received cholesterol-free diet. Group 1 (hyper control) fed 1% cholesterol + 20% fat diet. On establishing hypercholesterolemia, Group1 rats were sub-divided into three groups (1,2,3), with seven rats in each. Groups 2 and 3 diets were supplemented with white bitter yam and yellow bitter yam flour respectively, while Group1 rats were maintained on the hypercholesterolemic diet. They were fed for four weeks, after which the blood samples were collected via cardiac puncture. Plasma lipid profile (Triglyceride (TG), High density lipoprotein (HDL), Low density lipoprotein (LDL), Total cholesterol (TC) and Glucose level were determined. The result showed significantly higher (p≤ 0.05) levels of plasma TC, LDL, nonsignificant increase in TG, HDL remained unchanged and LDL/HDL ratio was higher in the hyper control rats than the control (p≤ 0.05) while feeding with white and yellow bitter yam (Discorea dumentorum) tuber supplement caused a decrease in the levels of TC, LDL and LDL/HDL ratio when compared with the hypercontrol group (p≤ 0.05). White Discorea dumentorum tuber supplement caused nonsignificant increase level of TG and nonsignificant decrease level of HDL in group2 when compared with the hypercontrol group (p≤ 0.05). Yellow Discorea dumentorum tuber supplement caused a significant increase in the level of TG and significant decrease (p≤ 0.05) in the level of HDL in group3 when compared with the hypercontrol group. Glucose level in hypercontrol rats i.e (group1) was significantly higher compared with the control and on supplementing the diet with white and yellow D. dumentorum a significant reduction in the glucose level was observed when compared with the hypercontrol. It can be concluded that white and yellow Discorea dumentorum tuber supplement appears to have hypocholesterolemic and hypoglyceamic effects on rats.

Keywords: Hypercholesterolemia, Discorea dumentorum, lipid profile and glucose level.