Unripe plantain products exert antihyperglycemic effects in animals. - GreenMedInfo Summary

AIMS: Unripe plantain based-diets are part of folklore remedy for the management of diabetes in tropical Africa; however, with the dearth of information on the rationale behind this practice; this study therefore, sought to investigate the antihyperglycemic effect of traditional unripe plantain products (Amala and Booli) in high fat fed/low dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and to provide a possible rationale for their antidiabetic properties.

MAIN METHODS: Diabetes was induced experimentally by high fat fed/low dose streptozotocin-diabetic rats (25mg/kg body wt.) and the diabetic rats were fed diets supplemented with 20-40% Amala and Booli for 14 days. The effect of the diets on the blood glucose level, pancreaticα-amylase, intestinal α-glucosidase and Angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) activities and plasma antioxidant status as well as amylose/amylopectin content of the unripe plantain products were determined.

KEY FINDINGS: A marked increase in the blood glucose,α-amylase, α-glucosidase and ACE activities with a corresponding decrease in plasma antioxidant status was recorded in diabetic rats. However, these indices were significantly (P<0.05) reversed after unripe plantain product supplemented diet treatments for 14 days. Also, the amylose/amylopectin ratio of the products is 1:3.

SIGNIFICANCE: This study revealed that unripe plantain products exert antihyperglycemic effects which could be attributed to the inhibition ofα-amylase and α-glucosidase activities by their constituent phytochemicals as well as their amylose/amylopectin contents in the diabetic rats, hence, providing the possible rationale behind their antidiabetic properties.