EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTATION OF PLANTAIN FLOUR WITH OKARA AND DETARIUM MICROCARPUM FLOUR AS DIETARY FIBER SOURCES ON BLOOD GLUCOSE AND SERUM CHOLESTEROL

ABSTRACT 
Flours were produced from unripe plantain fruit, okara, and Detarium microcarpum and 
analysed for selected properties. Plantain flours were supplemented with 5% levels of 
Detarium microcarpum and okara flours as dietary fiber sources and the effect on blood 
glucose and serum cholesterol levels of albino rats evaluated using bioassay. Plantain flour 
showed the highest (p<0.05) content of sugar (10.59%) compared to Detarium microcarpum 
(6.89%) and okara (4.29%) while Detarium microcarpum exhibited the highest (p<0.05) 
level of dietary fiber (78.6%) followed by okara (24.4%) and Plantain (6.6%). Plantain flour 
had the highest (p<0.05) value of amylose (12.50%) and starch (25.391%) compared to 
Detarium microcarpum with 0.14% of amylose and 0.54% of starch and okara with 0.38% of 
amylose and 0.39% of starch. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in zinc level in 
the three flours [(plantain (50mg/100g), Detarium microcarpum (50mg/100g) and okara 
(48.28mg/100g)]. Plantain had the highest level (p<0.05) of vitamin A (1272.72IU), followed 
by Detarium microcarpum (690.90IU) and then okara (618.18IU). Plantain had the highest 
level (P<0.05) of vitamin C (1.65%), followed by okara (1.37%) and then Detarium 
microcarpum (0.55%).

Diet formulated with plantain flour supplemented with 5% Detarium 
microcarpum flour reduced blood glucose level from 356mg/dl (which was recorded 2days 
after induction of alloxan solution) to 113mg/dl (which was recorded at the end of the three 
weeks study) and this translated to 68.26% reduction while diet formulated with plantain 
flour supplemented with 5% okara flour reduced blood glucose level from 539mg/dl (which 
was recorded 2 days after induction with alloxan solution) to 116mg/dl (recorded at the end 
of the three weeks study) which was about 78.48% reduction. Diabetic rats fed plantain diet 
supplemented with 5% Detarium microcarpum flour had lower (P<0.05) total cholesterol 
(1.31mmol/l), low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (0.31mmol/l) and high density 
lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (0.93mmol/l) than total cholesterol (1.60mmol/l), LDL 
(0.33mmol/l), and HDL (1.24mmol/l) of non-diabetic rats fed control diet. Also, the total 
cholesterol (1.47mmol/l), LDL cholesterol (0.33mmol/l) and HDL cholesterol (1.09mmol/l) 
of diabetic rats fed plantain diet supplemented with 5% okara flour were lower (p<0.05) than 
the total cholesterol (1.60mmol/l), LDL cholesterol (0.33mmol/l) and HDL cholesterol 
(1.24mmol/l) found in non-diabetic rats fed control diets.