Cowpea ( Vignaunguiculata L. Walp.) Incorporated Experimental Diets Modulate Caecal Fermentation and Serum Lipid Metabolism in Wistar Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the in vivo effect of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) incorporated experimental diets on caecal fermentation and serum lipid metabolism in Wistar rats. Seven weeks old 36 Wistar rats were fed with four cultivars of cowpea powder [Dawala (DA), Waruni (WA), Bombay (BB) and MI 35 (MI)] incorporated high fat diets (HFD) for six weeks. Rats were divided into six groups and assigned to six treatments randomly (DAF, WAF, BBFand MIF; with 20% cowpea powder + 30% fat; two controls with CNN (20% casein) and CNF (20% casein + 30% fat), respectively. Higher (p<0.05) Lactobacilli and total anaerobes counts were observed in MIF than CNF. Significantly higher (p<0.05) Lactobacillus population in DAF group was supported by significantly higher cecum weight compared to CNF group. Serum Total Cholesterol (TC), LDL-Cholesterol (LDL-C) and Tryaceiglycerol (TAG) concentration were lower (p<0.05) in BBF and MIF than CNF control. DAF, WAF and BBF fed groups had higher (p<0.05) feacal weight than CNF control. DAF and BBF fed groups resulted significantly higher cecum weight than control group. These results indicate that, cowpea incorporated diets modulated caecal fermentation and serum lipid metabolism in Wistar rats.