Nutritional and Physiological Effects of Consuming Legume Seed Powders (Glycine Max, Phaseolus Lunatus, Vigna Unguiculata, Cajanus Cajan) in Combination with Kponan Yam Powder (Dioscorea Alata) in Young Rats (Rattus Norvegicus)

The aim of this study is to assess the effects of consumption of Lima beans, angole peas and cowpeas on nutritional and physiological characteristics in growing rats. To do this, twenty-four growing male rats in four batches of six were fed for 21 days, with four diets. For example, a control diet based on soy powder (SAI), a Lima bean powder diet (PLI), an Angole pea powder diet (PAI) and a commercially purchased cowpea powder (NEI) diet were put into experimentation. The protein level of these diets is set at 10 %. At the end of the experiment, the results reveal that rats fed Lima bean powder diets experienced a loss of body mass from the beginning to the end of the experiment, while those fed with the other three diets (SAI, PAI and NEI) caused growth in rats. This study shows that there is no significant difference (p>0.05) between the values of triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and conjugated bilirubins of rats on the PLI, PAI and NEI diets compared to the control (SAI). Blood glucose levels in rats on the PAI and NEI diets are significantly higher (p≤0.05) than control rats (SAI). Similarly, the hemoglobin values of rats on PAI and NEI diets show no significant (p>0.05) difference compard to those of controls. These results imply that soybeans, cowpeas and Angole Peas may contribute to the fight against children malnutrition unlike Lima beans.