Nutritive content of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits and effect of its alcoholic extract on levels of blood glucose and cholesterol in rats

ABSTRACT

The present study was carried out to determine the nutritive content of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits and to investigate effects of its alcoholic extract on the blood glucose level in alloxan - diabetic rats and on serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoproteins in experimentally hypercholestrolemic rats. Nutritional analysis of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits revealed that percents of the major nutrients were 7.2% crude protein, 14.8% total lipids and 23.0% total carbohydrates. From the essential amino acids, leucine, valine and threonine were high in the crude protein fraction of the fruits, while histidine, tryptophan, phenylalanine and methionine were low. Proline, glutamic acid and aspartic acid from the non essential amino acids were high. Fatty acid analysis showed that the lipid fraction of Balanties aegyptiaca fruits contained palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids, while it was devoid of myristic, alpha - linolenic and arachidonic acids. Oral administration of the alcoholic extract of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits in doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg b.wt. to alloxan - diabetic rats significantly decreased, in a dose-dependent manner, the serum glucose level by 13.6, 22.8 and 42.4% respectively. In experimentally hypercholesterolemic rats, the same doses of the extract significantly reduced the serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL- cholesterol, while increased HDL-cholesterol. In conclusion, Balanites aegyptiaca fruits possess a low nutritive value and marked medicinal properties. These fruits are may be useful for the treatment of diabetes which accompany with hypercholesterolemia because its extract produces marked hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic effects and improves serum lipid profile in rats