Dietary intake of boiled breadfruit (Treculia africana) seeds did not improve hyperglycemia in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats: Effect on the oral glucose tolerance of normoglycemic rats.

BACKGROUND: Although African breadfruit (Treculia africana) is said to be useful in the dietary management of diabetes, the effect of cooking on its glycemic index has not been reported. Hence this study has investi- gated the effect of a dietary intake of boiled breadfruit on the serum glucose, glucose tolerance, body weights and relative organ weights of streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats.

METHODS: Twenty albino rats were used and were divided into four groups of five rats. Groups 1 (normal control) and 2 (diabetic control) received standard rat pellets while groups 3 (diabetic-test group) and 4 (non-diabetic) rats received breadfruit.

RESULTS: The blood glucose of the normoglycemic rats fed standard rat feeds peaked at 30 min (149.75 ±11.12 mg/dl) following oral glucose loading (3 g/kg) but reduced to 85.25 ±21.05 mg/dl after another 90 min, while the blood glucose of the normoglycemic rats fed breadfruit peaked at 30 min (146.25 ±15.22 mg/dl) follow- ing oral glucose loading, but elevated (130.75 ±36.69 mg/dl) after another 90 min. There was significant elevation (P < 0.05) of the serum glucose, relative liver weight (RLW) and relative kidney weight (RKW) but a significant decrease in the body weights of the diabetic control compared with the normal control; no sig- nificant difference (P > 0.05) in the serum glucose, body weights, RLW and RKW of the test group compared with the diabetic control, and no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the serum glucose, body weights, RLW and RKW of the normal rats fed the breadfruit diet compared to the normal control.

CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that the traditional method of cooking African breadfruit negatively affects its hypoglycemic property.