ABSTRACT

Some plants are known to be sources of food with significant medicinal properties that can combat the deleterious effects of some chemicals incorporated into foods and Mucuna sloanei is one of such plants and that led to the evaluation of the nutritional properties of Mucuna sloanei seed endosperms and some selected biochemical effects of the ethanol extract of the seed endosperms on Monosodium glutamate (MSG)-intoxicated rats. Thirty (30) albino female rats used were divided into 6 groups, n= 5. The groups were; Group 1; given feed and water, Group 2; given MSG only at the dose of 8000 mg/kg, Group 3; given 400 mg/kg of the extract only and Groups 4, 5 and 6 were given different concentrations (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg) of the extract with MSG at the dose of 8000 mg/kg respectively. They were treated for 28 days and their blood, liver and kidneys were collected for analysis and Histology. The evaluations were done using standard analytical procedures. The results were as follows: moisture (5.20%), ash (3.50%), crude protein (22.75%), crude fat (7.20%), crude fiber (2.20%), and carbohydrate (59.15%). The mineral analysis revealed sodium (146.35 mg/100 g), potassium (252.80 mg/100 g), calcium (44.80 mg/100 g), magnesium (125.80 mg/100 g), iron (9.60 mg/100 g) and zinc (3.00 mg/100g). The vitamin analysis showed that it contained thiamine (vitamin B1) (2.14 mg/100 g), vitamin A (4.75mg/100 g), vitamin C (14.40 mg/100 g), vitamin E (0.15 mg/100 g) while quantitative phytochemical analysis showed that the endosperm contained alkaloid (0.16%), saponins (0.06%), flavonoids (0.20%), tannin (0.03%), oxalate (0.40%) and phenols (0.02%). The kidney functioning capacity showed that MSG significantly increased the urea (29.42±1.44) (mg/dl) and creatinine (1.30±0.18) (ml/min) values in Group 2, while the extract in Group 3 significantly decreased the urea and creatinine values (P<0.05) when compared to Group 2. Group 6 gave the highest sodium (130.03±3.59) (mEq/L) and chloride (116.90±2.44) (mEq/L) values significantly different (P<0.05) from Groups 1, 2 and 3. Group 3 gave the highest values (5.85±0.48) (mEq/L) of potassium when compared to the rest of the groups. Biochemical evaluation of the live’         r functional indices showed that Group 3 significantly reduced the AST, ALP, ALT and bilirubin values (P<0.05) when compared to Group 2 that increased them. The heamatological parameters showed that Group 3 at the dose of 400 mg/kg had the highest significant RBC level of 8.29±0.04 (x10¹²/L) together with Group 6 that had a value of 8.23±0.33(x10¹²/L). Group 2 had the least values of RBC 5.89±0.07(x10¹²/L), PCV 45.33±1.45%, Hb 12.44±0.33 g/dl and WBC 12.44±0.33 (x10⁹/L). The antioxidant result showed that Group 3 had a significantly increased glutathione value (P<0.05) of 63.08±3.98 (U/L) when compared to the other groups while Group 2 had the least glutathione value of 37.37±2.27 (U/L). The photomicrograph of the liver showed that Group 1 and Group 3 had a well preserved liver architecture while Group 2 showed a moderate to severe portal inflammation. The kidney plates showed no significant difference in the Histology of the different groups since all their glomeruli were evenly distributed, with normal mesangial cellularity and normal endothelia. Thus, Mucuna sloanei seed endosperms could be said to combat the oxidative stress caused by MSG through its high antioxidant properties.