ANTIHYPERGLYCEMIC EFFECTS OF FONIO MILLET-WHEAT FLOUR COMPOSITE BISCUITS

Abstract

Wheat flour was supplemented with fonio millet flour in the percentage inclusion of 100, 75, 50, 25, 0 %, and thereafter flavoured with powdered citrus peels, for biscuits making. The biscuits were analyzed for their sensory and nutritional properties, and the results of the sensory evaluation revealed that 0 – 100% substitutions of wheat flour with fonio millet flour showed no significant differences (P>0.05) in the colour, aroma, taste, texture and general acceptability of the biscuits; however, the 100% wheat flour biscuits had the highest acceptability, while among the fonio millet flours substitute, 50% inclusion had the highest acceptability, followed by 25% inclusion. This prompted the selection of the 50% and 25% fonio millet flours inclusion for further in vivo analysis. The proximate composition showed a significant (P<0.05) increase of protein, Crude Fibre and ash contents, as compared with 100% wheat flour biscuits (FMF-100) without citrus peel and commercially available biscuits (CAB). Also there was significant (P<0.05) increase in the starch and amylose contents and decrease in the glucose content, amylopectin content and glycemic indices of the composite biscuits compared with the FMF-100 and CAB. The antihyperglycemic effect of the composite biscuits was further investigated by assessing the influence on the carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes activities (pancreatic α-amylase and intestinal α-glucosidase) in rat model. The increased pancreatic α-amylase and intestinal α-glucosidase, pancreatic Malondialdehydes and plasma Malondialdehydes in type-2 diabetes rats were significantly (P<0.05) reduced in the rats fed with composite biscuits flavoured with citrus peel. Furthermore, the reduced enzymatic (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase and superoxide dismutase) and non-enzymatic (reduced glutathione) antioxidants in type-2 diabetic rats were increased in rats fed with composite biscuits flavoured with citrus peel. The results of these experiment suggest that, fonio millet flour could serve as cheap substitute for wheat flour in biscuits production, and also that the biscuits could serve as dietary intervention in the management or control of postprandial hyperglycemia associated with type-2 diabetes.