Hibiscus sabdariffa drink (zobo) was preserved with three concentrations of cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), ginger (Zingiber officinale) and mixture of cloves and ginger, respectively while the control had no spice. The bottled H. sabdariffa drink was stored at 28 ± 2°C for 16 days. The total bacteria and fungi counts were determined every 48 h during storage. Bacterial and fungal growths were not detected in H. sabdariffa drink containing 0.25 and 0.45% concentrations of either of the spices through the period of storage. The following organisms which were isolated from the control and associated with H. sabdariffa drink spoilage were inhibited by the spices at 0.25 and 0.45% concentrations: Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, Pseudomonas azotoformans, Leucobacter aridicollis, Leucobacter komagatae, Pantoea gaviniae, Staphylococcus auricularis, Aspergillus niger, Ascomycota species, Candida parapsilosis, Fusarium solani, and Penicillium chermesinum.
Background: Onions is the most widely consumed vegetable worldwide and is a rich source of phytochemicals and antioxidants responsible for fighting free radicals in the body and preventing diseases Objective: The general objective of the study was to analyze and compare the nutrient and antioxidant properties of red, yellow and white onions in Oyo state, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: The research design was experimental. Samples were analyzed chemically according to the official method of analysis described by the Association of Official Analytical Chemist (AOAC). All analysis was carried out in triplicate. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS statistics version 20. ANOVA was used to compare different variables together. Results: The protein content was same in red and white onions. The crude fibre for red onions was 1.1 ±0.12, yellow onions 1.4±0.08 and white onions 1.2 ±0.12. White Onions had the highest total ash content (0.8 ±0.08), followed by yellow onions (0.6 ± 0.08) and red onions (0.6 ±0.05). The carbohydrate (by difference) was 12.2 ±0.09 for red onions, 11.1 ±0.22 for yellow onions and 11.4 ±0.36 for white onions. The reducing sugars for red onions was 1.8 ±0.12, yellow onions had 1.1 ±0.08 while white onions contained 1.2 ±0.12. The total sugars for red onions, yellow and white onions were 2.6 ±0.12, 1.7 ±0.12 and 2.2 ±0.12 respectively. The ascorbic acid (mg/100g) content was 15.8 ± 0.79 for red onions, 11.2 ±0.21 for yellow onions and 12.4 ±0.53 for white onions. Quercetin (mg/g) was highest in red onions (0.32 ±0.02), followed by yellow onions (0.24 ±0.01) and then white onions (0.19±0.01). Conclusion: The nutrients and antioxidant (quercetin and vitamin c) properties were higher in red onions compared to the other varieties (white and yellow) of onions.
Some lipid fractions of whole liver homogenate (WLH) of normal and streptozotocin diabetic rats administered combined extracts of Vernonia amygdalina (VA) and Azadirachta indica (AI) for 28 days were evaluated. There was significant decrease (p<0.05) in HDL-cholesterol concentration in hepatocytes of diabetic control rats compared to the normal control. Whereas administration of single extracts of VA or AI further reduced the HDL-cholesterol non-significantly (p>0.05) and significantly (p<0.05), respectively, co-administration of the two extracts significantly increased (p<0.05) the HDL-cholesterol to levels comparable to the insulin treated group. Total cholesterol (TC) concentration of diabetic rats was not significantly altered by the extracts. In the non diabetic counterparts, AI extract alone, caused a significant elevation (p<0.05) of TC concentration. However, this effect was modulated by VA extract when given as combined extract. Triacylglycerol (TG) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol levels in hepatocytes of diabetic control rats which reduced significantly (p<0.05) following diabetes induction, became significantly increased (p<0.05) upon administration of both single and combined extracts. The effect of extracts on these latter indices was better than insulin treated group. Combined extract of VA and AI suppresses hyperlipidemia of diabetes via hepatic lipid modulation and may be better in this respect than insulin.
Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is the most common endocrine disease which is characterized by hyperglycaemia, altered metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates and protein with an increased risk of many complications such as liver and pancreas damage and altered serum electrolytes level. During the past few years many plants and spices have been used to manage DM. This work aimed to investigate the possible anti-diabetic effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa L., Zingiber officinale roscoe and Piper nigrum L. extract treatments in alloxan induced diabetic rats via studying pancreas, liver structure abnormalities and serum electrolytes level alteration. 30 male Wistar rats (130-180 g) were injected intraperitoneally and divided into five main groups each of 6 rats. The control group was injected with a single dose of saline solution (0.9% NaCl), diabetic group was injected with a dose of alloxan solution (170 mg/kg), high and low dose of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg extract after induction of diabetes respectively and metformin treated group was injected at a daily dose 500 mg/kg metformin after induction of diabetes. Microscopic histopathology examination of pancreatic tissues showed decrease in islets of Langerhans size in the diabetic group, sinusoidal enlargement and increased fatty vacuoles in the liver tissues of the diabetic group. There were alterations in the serum electrolytes levels of the diabetic group. These abnormalities were healed after treatment of diabetic rats with extract which could have the ability to regenerate beta cells of islets of Langerhans. The present study could verify that the extract normalized the various serum electrolytes levels and histological abnormalities resulted due to diabetes metabolic disorders.
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