The effects of Afzelia africana seed processed with different fermentation periods on lipid profile of alloxan-induced diabetic adult male Wistar rats

The study sought to assess the impact of unfermented and fermented Afzelia africana seed flour on alloxan-induced diabetic rats on their triglyceride and cholesterol levels. 50 rats were involved in this research, and they were placed in five groups, ten rats per group. One group was kept normal, and four groups were made diabetic by injecting a freshly prepared 5% aqueous solution of alloxan monohydrate, given in a single dose of 130 to 170 mg/kg body weight. The composition of the experimental diet was formulated on the basis of 10g dietary fiber obtained from the seeds. Lipid profile levels were measured on day 1(prior to acclimatization), day 7 (48h after induction), and day 21 (following experiment).The result of this finding showed a significant decrease (p ˂ 0.05) in the body weight of rats that were fed fermented Afzelia africana seed flour for 24h and 48h compared with rats fed unfermented seed flour. Rats fed with fermented Afzelia africana showed a significant decrease (p<0.05) in total cholesterol, LDL, and triglyceride levels compared to those fed with unfermented samples, which, on the other hand, had an increase (p<0.05) in total cholesterol and LDL levels. Additionally, the rat groups fed with fermented Afzelia africana showed an increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (p<0.05). By contrast, the groups fed with unfermented Afzelia africana seed flour showed a reduction in HDL. The study discovered that 48h and 24h fermented Afzelia africana display anti-diabetic and hypocholesterolemic activity in diabetic rats relatively. Keywords: cholesterol, Afzelia africana, alloxan, fermentation, lipoprotein, rats