Ameliorative Potentials of Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta L.) and Unripe Plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.) on the Relative Tissue Weights of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Aim. To investigate the ameliorating potentials of cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta L.) and unripe plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.) incorporated feeds on the renal and liver growths of diabetic rats, induced with 55 and 65？mg/kg body weight of Streptozotocin. Method. The blood glucose level of the rats was measured with a glucometer, the protein and glucose and specific gravity (SPGR) in the urine samples of the rats were measured using urine assay strips and urinometer respectively. The chemical composition and antioxidant screening of the test feeds were carried out using standard techniques. Results. Administration of the test feeds for 21 days to the diabetic rats of groups 4 and 5, resulted in 58.75% and 38.13% decreases in hyperglycemia and amelioration of their elevated urinary protein, glucose, SPGR, and relative kidney weights. The diabetic rats administered cocoyam incorporated feeds, had 2.71% and 19.52% increases in weight and growth rates, the diabetic rats administered unripe plantain incorporated feeds had 5.12% and 29.52% decreases in weight and growth rates while the diabetic control rats had 28.69%, 29.46%, 248.9% and 250.14% decreases in weights and growth rates. The cocoyam incorporated feeds contained higher antioxidants, minerals and phytochemicals except alkaloids than unripe plantain feed. Conclusion. Cocoyam and unripe plantain could be useful in the management of diabetic nephropathy. 1. Introduction Diabetes is one of the most challenging diseases of the 21st century that affects essential biochemical pathways of the body (carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism) and whose prevalence is rising globally, including the rural Nigerian populations [1, 2]. Due to the inability of the modern therapy to control all the pathophysiological aspects of the disorder as well as the enormous cost it poses on the economy of the developing nations of the world, alternative strategies are urgently needed [3]. The use of medicinal plants in the traditional management of diabetes mellitus could play an important role in the lives of rural people, particularly in remote parts of developing countries which are poorly served with health facilities. During diabetes, the liver has been reported to decrease in weight due to enhanced catabolic processes such as glycogenolysis, lipolysis, and proteolysis, which is the outcome of lack of insulin in the liver cells while the kidney has been reported to increase in weight due to glucose overutilization and subsequent enhancement in glycogen synthesis [4], lipogenesis, and protein synthesis. These changes