TITLE:
Nutritional and Antioxidant Evaluation and Effect of Eggplant Consumption on Anthropometric and Hematologic Parameters in Wistar Rats
AUTHORS:
Elenga Michel, Nkouka Rhode, Gouollaly Tsiba, Wossolo Stephane, Itoua Okouango Yvon Simplice, Mananga Vital
KEYWORDS:
Fruit Vegetables, Eggplant, Solanum aethiopicum L., Solanum melongena L., Antioxidants, Polyphenols
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.15 No.4,
April
7,
2024
ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the nutritional quality of green and purple eggplant, their antioxidant activity and their nutritional efficacy on Wistar rats. For nutritional quality, the parameters measured are dry matter, protein, lipid, ash, carbohydrate, iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and energy content. For antioxidant activity, the parameters measured are 50% DDPH free radical inhibition concentration and total polyphenol content. Nutritional efficacy was evaluated in rats fed the control diet and in rats fed the three treated diets containing eggplant meal obtained by replacing 5%, 10%, and 15% of the control diet. The parameters measured are the amount consumed, the weight of the animal and target organs, and hematologic parameters. The results of the nutritional analysis show the following values: 13.31% protein, 2.66% lipids, 0.84% calcium, 0.12% magnesium, 0.43% phosphorus for the Solanum aethiopicum L. species and 13.47% protein, 3.66% lipids, 0.36% calcium, 0.22% magnesium, 0.35% phosphorus for the Solanum melongena L. species. In terms of antioxidant activity, we obtained DDPH inhibition percentages of 40.28 mg/ml for Solanum aethiopicum L. and 12.42 mg/ml for Solanum melongena L., respectively. Finally, hematologic and anthropometric tests showed that for the different diets used, weight loss and an increase in hematologic parameters were observed in the rats tested. This study showed that eggplant has interesting nutritional characteristics and antioxidant activity, contributing to an increase in weight and anthropometric parameters.