Safety of Bifidobacterium longum BB.536 Fermented Sudanese Rice Types Denoted Locally as Crown, Narica and Pabenjeda Beverages Assessed on Albino Rats

Abstract

Safety of three different Sudanese rice types denoted locally (Crown, Narica and Pabenjeda) beverages, fermented with Bifidobacterium longum BB.536 after supplementation with whey and hashab gum Arabic was assessed using albino rats. 10g of rice flour (w/v) was cooked at 60 ºC using a hot plate for 7 min; after cooling 1g of fetarita sorghum malt was added followed by addition of 10 ml whey and 1g hashab gum. The mix was sterilized at 121 ºC for 15 min., cooled to 37 ºC. 3 % active B. longum BB.536 starter culture was added and incubated at 37 ºC for 36 hrs (maximum growth). Four weeks old albino rats with an average initial weight of (110 g ±10) were acclimatization for fifteen days and assigned randomly to four groups (n = 6). Control group orally fed daily 3 ml distilled water. Other three groups were daily orally fed 3.0 ml of fermented Crown rice beverage supplemented with whey and hashab gum, fermented Narica rice beverage supplemented with whey and hashab gum, fermented Pabenjeda rice beverage supplemented with whey and hashab gum. Different analyses were carried out including general health, haematology and blood biochemistry analysis. Feeding experimental rats with the fermented rice beverages supplemented with whey and hashab gum did not show any abnormal changes in behaviour , activity and no signs of illness, but it showed a significant (p<0.05) difference in weight gain when compared treated rats with the control rats during the feeding period. Blood analysis results for treated rats showed positive health signs in CBC, RBC, HGB, liver enzymes ALP, ALT and AST as it were within the normal range for rat blood. Nevertheless there were a significant (p<0.05) decrease in the level of cholesterol, triglyceride and blood glucose as signs of health benefits. Therefore, all probiotic strain BB.536 fermented rice beverages supplemented with whey and hashab gums were safe and exerted some beneficial effects to fed rats.