Hypolipidemic effect and antioxidant properties of cassava-wheat flour composite bread in rats

The composite bread was prepared from cassava flour (CF) and wheat flour (WF) in various proportion of 100:0 (100% CF), 50:50 (50% CF: 50% WF), 20:80 (20% CF: 80% WF), 10:90 (10% CF: 90% WF) and 0:100 (100% WF) and flavored with 2 g of cocoa powder (FL). Forty male Wistar rats, weighing 170-200 g were divided into eight groups of five animals each. They were subsequently placed on different formulated bread including control (100% WF Bread without cocoa powder) and the commercial bread for two weeks. The rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation, blood was rapidly collected by direct heart puncture and the liver was excised. The results of the lipid profile revealed that there were significant (p < 0.05) decrease in plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL of the normal rats fed with composite bread as compared to the 100% WF bread control. However, a significant (p < 0.05) increase was revealed in HDL-C level in the plasma of the rats fed with composite bread with 100% CF bread + FL as compared with the control. In addition, significant increases (p < 0.05) by superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the liver of the rats fed with composite bread of 100% CF bread + FL showed the highest antioxidant properties. Moreso, no significant (p > 0.05) difference in the activities of plasma ALP, AST, ALT was observed in rats fed with composite bread as compared to that of the control rats. The results suggest that cassava flour bread blends could serve as cheap functional food recipe with high antioxidant qualities.