Abstract
The objective of this study was to compare the effect of recommended diet namely, plantain porridge
and beans with other traditional Nigerian diets on oxidative stress and lipid profile in alloxan diabetic
rats. Therefore, in the design, six groups (1 non diabetic and 5 diabetic) of 7 rats each, were accordingly
treated: the normal and diabetic controls were fed normal rat pellets; garri with afang soup, pounded
yam with edikang ikong soup, ekpang nkukwo, and the control diet (plantain porridge with beans)
respectively, were fed to the other diabetic groups. The diets and water were given ad libitium and this
lasted for 15 days after which biochemical indices of oxidative stress and lipid profile were respectively
determined in liver homogenates and serum of the experimental animals. Superoxide dismutase (SOD)
activity significantly increased (p<0>
increase was highest in the control diet, it was not significant (p>0.05) with respect to the traditional
diets. The reverse was the case with Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, which was significantly
decreased in the control diet compared to the traditional diets and diabetic control. Yet the extent of
lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, MDA) was seen to be highest in the control diet. The effects of the
traditional diets and the control diet on lipid profile were similar. These traditional diets could be more
effective in amelioration of oxidative stress in dietary management of diabetes mellitus
