Nutritional Effects of Drinking Terminalia Iittoralis Seem. Decoction

Abstract

Aims: The nutritional effects of drinking Terminalia littoralis Seem. decoction, used in ethno-medicine as prophylactic agent against sickle cell crisis, was studied. Study Design:  Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria, between January 2012 and March 2012. Methodology: Preparation and analysis of the decoction for pH, concentration, minerals, moisture, crude protein, crude ash, crude fat, total carbohydrates, energy and amino acid contents. The protein quality and the presence of some phytochemicals and vitamins were also evaluated. A feeding study using the decoction as the only source of fluid for albino rats of the Wistar strain for 35 days and the blood analysed for haemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and number of white blood cells. Results: The decoction had a pH of 5.95±0.01 and a concentration of 1.7 g/ 100 ml. Preliminary screening showed that it contained tannins, saponins, flavonoids, thiocyanates, cardiotonic glycosides, cyanogenic glycosides, vitamin C, β-carotene, free amino acids, monosaccharides and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. Its mineral contents (mg/ L) were K+ (12.800±0.004), Na+ (21.000±0.001), Ca2+ (33.600±0.002), Mg2+ (10.400±0.002), Zn2+ (21.200±0.004) and Fe2+ (15.200±0.002). It had a protein level of 4.55±0.42 % with 50.19±0.08 % essential amino acid content. It had a high protein quality; with Computed-Protein Efficiency Ratio-1 (C-PER-1) of 1.83; C-PER-2 of 1.83 and C-PER-3 of 0.70. Met and Cys were the limiting amino acids. Conclusion: Drinking the decoction significantly (p<0.05) increased growth rate, nutrient adequacy, digestion and assimilation of feeds. It did not however affect (p>0.05) the weights of the organs and the haematological parameters studied.