The effects of two vegetable flours, prepared from the African plants Detarium senegalense Gmelin, a legume, and Cissus rotundifolia, a shrub, on postprandial blood glucose and insulin concentrations in human subjects, were investigated. Chemical analysis indicated that these flours contained significant amounts of NSP. The detarium in particular was found to be a rich source of water-soluble NSP (SNSP). The flours were incorporated into two types of breakfast meal, a stew meal and a wheat bread meal, containing 50 g and 70 g available carbohydrate respectively. Both meals also contained 10-12 g NSP, the major fraction of which was SNSP. Control and fibre-rich meals were consumed on separate days in randomized order by two different groups of subjects (n 5, stew meals; n 10, bread meals). Venous blood samples were taken at fasting (0 min) and postprandially at 30 min intervals for 2 . 5 h and the plasma analysed for glucose and insulin. Compared with the controls, detarium and cissus meals elicited significant reductions ðP < 0 : 006Þ in plasma glucose levels at most postprandial time points and for area-under-the-curve (AUC) values (AUC reductions 38-62 %). Significant reductions ðP < 0 : 002Þ in plasma insulin levels at various postprandial time points and for AUC values were also seen after detarium and cissus breads (AUC reductions 43 and 36 % respectively), but not after the fibre-rich stew meals. SNSP and starch are possibly the main, but not the only, components responsible for the glucose-and insulin-lowering effects of cissus flour. The main SNSP fraction of detarium, identified as a high-molecular-weight xyloglucan, is likely to be a primary factor in determining the physiological activity of detarium flour. Dietary fibre: Starch: Postprandial carbohydrate metabolism

Chromium intakes were above recommended daily intake (RDI). Target hazard quotient (THQ) for nickel and zinc were within WHO/FAO limit. There was no evidence of possible health risk to consumers with regard to zinc and nickel. However, chromium intake should be of utmost concern, while disposal of tanning waste should be checked.

A study of the prevalence of obesity among undergraduate students was conducted at University of Nigeria Nsukka campus, Enugu, State, in the South Eastern part of Nigeria. A tota of 620 male and female students were randomly selected for the study. A structured and validated questionnaire and anthropometry were used for data collection. The study elicited information on the sex distribution of the subjects who were obese, their marital status, dietary pattern, activity pattern and their health status. Information obtained was analyzed using frequency distribution, percentages, means and cross tabulation. The result revealed that 21% of the participants were obese, (8.1% are males and 13.1% are females). Most of the participants who were obese were unmarried, a total of 93 4% of the of the study population. The result of the eating pattern showed that 40 6% of the subjects purchased their foods from eating houses within the campus, 46 6% cooked their meals with foods brought f om their homes; 28.2% and 26.7% consumed fruits and vegetables daily respectively. Food choice was based on taste of the food, cultural demands and easy to prepare foods. Information on the activity level showed that 85.5% of the obese subjects occasionally engaged in physical activity. Assessment of the hea th status indicate that 6 1% had cardiovascular disease; 2 3% were diabetics, 3.8% had gall bladder disease and 51% had other illness like ulcer, irregular menstruation, fever and stomach ach.

Nutrient composition, organoleptic attributes and overall acceptability of plantain cake were evaluated. Plantain fingers in stages 2 (URP) and 5 of ripeness (RP) used in this study were washed, peeled, sliced into small pieces, sun-dried for five days and milled separately into flour. Commercial wheat flour (WF 100) served as the control. Each sample was sieved and analyzed for functional properties and nutrients and combined in different proportions. The wheat flour (WF) was substituted by plantain flour (URP and RP) at 25, 50 and 75% for cake making, respectively. The combinations derived were 25%URP and 75%W (URP 25 W 75), 50%URP and 50%W (URP 50 W 50), 75%URP and 25%W (URP 75 W 25), 25%RP and 75%W (RP 25 W 75), 50%RP and 50%W (RP 50 W 50), 75%RP and 25%W (RP 75 W 25). Each combination was used in baking cake. The proximate composition and sensory evaluation of the cakes were determined. The URP flour had the least protein content (2.73%) while WF 100 had the highest (3.04%). The RP had the lowest fat (0.30%) and highest ash (2.33%) contents. The URP flour had more foaming stability/capacity and emulsion capacity but less oil absorption capacity and least gelation concentration than RP flour. The W 100 cake had 26.41% protein followed by the RP 25 W 75 (23.99%) and URP 25 W 75 (23.91%) cakes. The URP 25 W 75 cake had significantly (p<0.05) more fibre and fat contents (9.44 and 12.32%, respectively) than the rest of the samples. Vitamin B 2 (mg/100 g) in URP 50 W 50, (2.29) RP 25 W 75 (2.05) RP 50 W 50 (2.05) and W 100 (2.09) cakes were comparable. All the cake samples had similar folate and calcium contents. There were differences in iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc contents of the cakes. The URP 50 W 50 was rated best plantain-based cake in terms of texture (7.80) and acceptability (7.82). This study forms a basis for new product development for the biscuit food industry.

cfu/g for 0 and 60 days, respectively. The differences between the values of the parameters of the formulations were significant (p<0.05) especially from day 14. Yeast and coliform were not detected in all the samples but mold was detected from days 14 to 60. The formulation D 70 S 30 had best shelf life; however, the samples should be consumed within 14 days of production.

Detarium microcarpium is a legum nous plant food used traditionally among the Ibos in the South Eastern part of Nigeria as a thickening agent in vegetable soups. Detarium is large y uncharacterised and under exploited. There is a dearth of information in the l terature on this plant ood. The aim of the study is to process, analyze and characterise detar um flour; screen detarium using rats to investigate it's physiological effect on the general metabo ism of rats, compare detarium to guar gum (GG) as a positive control, to determine the effects o the two foods on the plasma cholesterol level o rats. The result of the analysis showed that powdered detarium has a mean particle size of 464µm. The SNSP content per 100 g food sample was 59.8 g The viscosity o 1% aqueous dispersion of the powdered detarium food sample obtained using the U tube capillary viscometer was 4000 -24000 cp. The main SNSP fract on of detarium was dent ed to be a high molecular weight xyloglucan. In the rat study, the experimental diet contained detarium or guar gum, as positive control, at a level providing 80g soluble NSP/kg d et. Food intake, faecal output, weight gain, digestibility, food efficiency ratio and plasma cholesterol (after overnight fasting) were measured. The resu t showed tha the cholesterol levels of rats fed detarium and guar gum diets were significantly lower than the control (P < 0.05) using the analysis of variance. Detarium and guar gum covariates such as weight gain, food intake and faecal output. The results obtained indicate that detarium may possess properties as guar gum which maybe useful in the management of diabetes and disorders of lipid metabolism in humans.

Effect of high fibre leguminous products in breakfast porridges, made from Afzelia Africana (AA), Detarium microcarpum (DM), Sphenostylis stenocarpa (SS) and Zea mays on blood glucose level of humans was investigated in this study. The food items were processed into flour using African (Nigerian) traditional processing methods. The flours were combined in a ratio of 4:1, Z. mays-A. africana (CAA), Z. mays-D. microcarpum (CDM), and Z. mays-S. stenocarpa (CSS). Each composite was mixed with water and cooked for 10 min to produce porridge. The test porridges provided 50 g available carbohydrate (10 g from a legume and 40 g from Z. mays). The porridges were consumed on separate days by 18 subjects after an overnight fast. Seven days interval was allowed between the consumption of each, test porridge. Fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels were taken at 30 min interval for 2 h after the consumption of each, test porridge. The results of the mean absolute glucose levels at 60 min showed that CAA and CDM lowered blood glucose level significantly (P<0.05). At 90 min, CDM and CSS elicited more effect (P<0.05) compared to CAA. Mean incremental blood glucose demonstrated that CAA and CDM lowered (P<0.05) blood glucose at 30, 60, and 90 min and CSS at 120 min. Area under the curve (AUC) for CAA and CDM were lower. The three legumes had effects on the postprandial glucose levels; however, CAA and CDM were more efficacious. The sensory evaluation showed that CAA was more acceptable than CSS and CDM, but the general acceptability rating was high for all the porridges.

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the heavy metal (HM) concentrations of selected vegetables harvested from crude oil-producing Rivers State and non-oil-producing Enugu State in Nigeria. Four vegetables;Telfaria occidentialis, Talinum triangulare, Ocimium gratissimum, and Murraya koenigii,were obtained from local farms in local government areas (LGAs) selected, each from the 3 senatorial zones in each state.The chemical analysis in mg/100g of the heavy metals (HMs) was conducted using standard methods. There mean values varied in the order: lead (Pb) > cadmium (Cd) > mercury (Hg) in mg/100g. Vegetable samples harvested from Rivers State had the highest toxicity level for both Pb (0.19 to 0.34) and Hg (0.01 to 0.03), while samples harvested from Enugu State had the highest toxicity level for Cd (0.07 to 0.25). The mean Pb contents forOcimium gratissimum(0.27) andTalinum triangulare(0.26), harvested from Rivers States were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than their counterparts harvested from Enugu State (0.19 and 0.21, respectively). Mercury had the least mean value than Pb and Cd in all the locations. All the vegetables from all the localities in this study had toxic levels of HM much above the FAO/WHO acceptable limits; 0.03 mg/100g for Pb, and 0.02 mg/100g for Cd in foods and 0.0001 mg/100g for Hg in mineral water. It can therefore be said that the public health importance for increased consumption of fruits and vegetables may equally mean increased HM consumption and bioaccumulation for the population in Rivers and Enugu States.