Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T19:12:13.261Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effects of chronic cassava consumption, cyanide intoxication and protein malnutrition on glucose tolerance in growing rats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Abayomi O. Akanji  and
Olufunso O. Famuyiwa
Abayomi O. Akanji
Affiliation:
Department Chemical Pathology, College of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
Olufunso O. Famuyiwa
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests were performed at 4-week intervals in groups of weanling rats before and after feeding with maize- or cassava-based diets with and without adequate protein and sublethal cyanide supplementation. Weaning weights were doubled (increase of about 50 g) after 4 weeks on control (maize-based with adequate protein) and protein-replete diets. Weight gain on the protein-deficient diets was much less (22 g or 50%), a pattern maintained by the rats on these diets until the age of 12 weeks. Plasma thiocyanate levels were identical at weaning and after 8 weeks of the control diet but increased by 200–300% after 4 weeks intake of the cassava or cyanide-supplemented feeds. Levels returned to normal in all groups after a further 4 weeks feeding with the control diet. Glucose tolerance (as assessed by the area under the 2 h glucose ν. time curve) was impaired to a varying extent in the rats after 4 weeks on the various diets: protein-replete cassava and protein-deficient maize diets by 50%, protein-deficient cassava diet by 300%, and cyanide-supplemented protein-deficient maize diet by 150%. The derangement in the rats on the protein-replete cassava diet was unaffected by a further 4 weeks intake of the control diet, unlike in the other groups where there was significant improvement in the glucose tolerance indices at the same time. It is concluded that in growing rats: (1) cassava intake and protein malnutrition may have independent and additive effects on the genesis of glucose intolerance, (2) cyanide supplementation of a cassava-free protein-replete diet has no effect on glucose tolerance.

Keywords

CassavaDiabetes mellitusTropical medicineCyanideProtein-energy malnutrition
Type
Nutritional Effects of Biologically Active Comppnents of Plants
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 69 , Issue 1 , January 1993 , pp. 269 - 276
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1993

References

REFERENCES

Abu-Bakare, A., Gill, V., Taylor, R. & Alberti, K. G. M. M. (1986). Tropical or malnutrition-related diabetes: a real syndrome? Lancet i, 1135–1138.Google Scholar
Akanji, A. O. (1990). Malnutrition-related diabetes mellitus in young adult diabetic patients attending a Nigerian diabetic clinic. Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 93, 35–38.Google Scholar
Akanji, A. O., Adeyefa, I., Charles-Davies, M. & Osotimehin, B. O. (1990). Plasma glucose and thiocyanate responses to different mixed cassava meals in non-diabetic Nigerians. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 44, 71–77.Google ScholarPubMed
Becker, D. J., Pimstone, B. L., Hansen, J. D. L., MacHutcheon, B. & Drysdale, D. (1972). Patterns of insulin response to glucose in protein-calorie malnutrition. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 25, 499–505.Google Scholar
Bourdoux, P., DeLange, F., Gerard, M., Mafuta, M., Hanson, A. & Ermans, A. M. (1978). Evidence that cassava ingestion increases thiocyanate formation: a possible etiological factor in endemic goitre. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 46, 613–621.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowler, R. G. (1944). The determination of thiocyanate in blood serum. Biochemical Journal 38, 385–388.Google Scholar
Casadei, E., Cliff, J. & Neves, J. (1990). Surveillance of urinary thiocyanate concentration after epidemic spastic paraparesis in Mozambique. Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 93, 257–261.Google Scholar
DeLange, F. (1974). Endemic goitre and thyroid function in Central Africa. In Monographs in Paediatrics, vol. 2, pp. 1–171 [Falkner, S. and Kretchmer, N., editors]. Basel: S. Karger.Google Scholar
Ekoe, J. M. (1985). Diabetes and nutrition in developing countries. Bulletin of Delivery ofHealth Care to Diabetics in Developing Countries 6, 3–9.Google Scholar
Handler, P. (1945). The effects of various inhibitors of carbohydrate metabolism, in vivo. Journal of Biological Chemistry 161, 53–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kajubi, S. K. (1972). The endocrine pancreas after kwashiorkor. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 25, 1140–1142.Google Scholar
Lester, F. T. (1984). A search for malnutrition diabetes in an Ethiopian diabetic clinic. International Diabetes Federation Bulletin 29, 14–16.Google Scholar
McMillan, D. E. & Geevarghese, P. J. (1979). Dietary cyanide and tropical malnutrition diabetes. Diabetes Care 2, 202–208.Google Scholar
Milner, R. D. G. (1972). Insulin secretion in human protein-calorie deficiency. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 31, 219–223.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nwokolo, C. & Oil, J. (1980). Pathogenesis of juvenile tropical pancreatitis syndrome. Lancet i, 456–458.Google Scholar
Osuntokun, B. O. (1970). Cassava diet and cyanide metabolism in Wistar rats. British Journal of Nutrition 24, 377–380.Google Scholar
Rao, K. S. J. & Raghuramulu, N. (1972). Insulin secretion in kwashiorkor. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 35, 63–66.Google Scholar
Rao, R. H. (1984). The role of undernutrition in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care 7, 595–601.Google Scholar
Swenne, I., Crace, C. J. & Milner, R. D. G. (1987). Persistent impairment of insulin secretory response to glucose in adult rats after limited period of protein–calorie malnutrition early in life. Diabetes 36, 454–458.Google Scholar
Syme, G. (1982). The effect of protein deficient isoenergetic diets on the growth of rat jejunal mucosa. British Journal of Nutrition 48, 25–36.Google Scholar
Teuscher, T., Baillod, P., Rosman, J. B. & Teuscher, A. (1987). Absence of diabetes in a rural West African population with a high carbohydrate/cassava diet. Lancet i, 765–768.Google Scholar
Tewe, O. O. (1975). Impact of the cyanogenetic fraction of cassava on the growth and reproductive performance of rats and pigs. PhD Thesis, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.Google Scholar
Trinder, P. (1969). Determination of blood glucose using 4-aminophenazone as oxygen acceptor. Journal of Clinical Pathology 22, 246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vannasaeng, S., Vichayaurt, A., Nitiyanant, W. & Tandhanand, S. (1982). Diabetes mellitus in the tropics. A case with pancreatic calcification and cassava toxicity. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand 65, 330–332.Google ScholarPubMed
Weinkove, C., Weinkove, E., Timme, A. & Pimstone, B. (1977). Pancreatic islets in malnourished rats. Quantitative histologic and electron microscopic findings. Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine 101, 266–269.Google Scholar
World Health Organization Study Group (1985). Diabetes mellitus. Technical Report Series no. 727. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar