ABSTRACT
Vegetables and fruit provide a significant part of human nutrition, as they are important sources of nutrients, dietary fibre, and phytochemicals. Sixty (60) albino rats were used to study the effect vegetables extracts modified diets; grouped into, one group was fed with high sucrose diet while others were fed with normal ratchow. After 3weeks of feeding respective vegetable extracts were introduced into their diets and fed for one week. Electrolytes status were analysed in the plasma and liver. This work revealed a significant (p
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The consumption of high sucrose diet has increased considerably in around the globe in the recent times, especially in the developing countries like Nigeria (Young et al., 2002). Intake of sucrose from sweeteners and other food drinks may now exceed that of the other major energy sources. Their epidemiological basis between added sugars and cardiovascular disease and studies have shown that sucrose metabolism is a contributing factor to weight gain and obesity, atherosclerosis, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and various metabolic conditions such as the metabolic syndrome, diabetes and coronary heart disease (Elliott, et al., 2002). It has also been postulated that consumption of fructose, a monomer of sucrose from any source may independently contribute to hypertension, dyslipidemias, insulin resistance and chronic kidney disease. In turns, translates into increased rates of stroke, heart failure, and myocardial infarction.
Furthermore, high risk of hypertension is associated with aging related complications and sucrose is also implicated. Due to the high risk of metabolic dysfunction accompany intake of high sucrose diet nutritionists and other scientist have explored various methods including physical exercise therapy, herbal, conventional medicine, and dietary modifications in search for effective and long term solution.
Plants and plant products are rich sources of compounds with health benefits; fruits and vegetables diets have correlation with lower rates of cancer and coronary heart disease (Knekt, et al., 1997). Due to certain phytochemicals including vitamins, minerals and other compounds present in plants tissues their antioxidant, anticarcinogenic properties and a wide spectrum of tumor-blocking activities are documented extensively. Phytochemicals present assurances in the modification of foods for the dietary prevention of chronic disease (National Academy Press, 1989). Furthermore, phytochemicals such as polyphenols have been documented in the inhibition of superoxide radicals formation thus prevents oxidative stress and modulate immunoresponses. According to World Health Organization and other government agencies in countries all over the World consumption of 400 g of fruit and vegetables per day may help to prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer (WHO, 1990). While, there ample documentations on the health benefits of vegetable rich diets, many studies have reported the health risks associated with the consumption of vegetable diets due to the high level anti-nutrients like saponin, cyanogenic glycosides, tannin, oxalates to mention few, that may interfere with the palatability, digestibility and bioavailability of beneficial components of food. Anti-nutrients such as phytic acid and oxalic acid have been reported to reduce feed intake, growth rate, feed efficiency, net metabolizable energy and protein digestibility in man and herbivorous animals (DeBoland, et al., 1975). Saponnin and flavonoids interfere with certain minerals and trace elements in diets as well as in the body tissues.
Processing methods as well as engineering plant foods with enhanced concentrations of chemopreventive phytonutrients is a promising new strategy for health promotion. Also, with respect to many reasons such as improving palatability, digestibility, bioavailability and removal of anti-nutrients, toxins and other microbial agent different processing methods have been adopted and practised on green leafy vegetables. Such processing methods such as smoking, sun-drying, salting, chopping, boiling, juicing among others has shown varying effects on different phytochemicals by altering the concentration and influencing degradation. Juicing for example, have been reported to reduce fibre content While increasing other phytochemicals such alkaloids, flavonoids and phytic acids in certain leafy vegetables.
AIM AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of this work is to compare the effect of juice and pulp extracts of two commonly consumed leafy vegetables in South West Nigeria on diet induced cardiovascular risk in respect to the electrolyte status in wistar rats.
OBJECTIVES
To investigate the effect of vegetable juice extracts on electrolyte status in the plasma and liver of albino rats.
To examine the effect of vegetable extracts on electrolyte status in the plasma and liver of albino rats fed with high sucrose diet.
To compare the effect pulp and juice extracts vegetables on electrolyte status in the plasma and liver of rats fed with high sucrose diet.