Glycaemic Response and Body Weight Changes in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats Fed Acha–Soybean–Moringa Composite Diets

Abstract

This study evaluated the glycaemic response and body weight changes in alloxan-induced diabetic Wistar albino rats fed composite diets formulated from acha (Digitaria exilis), soybean (Glycine max), and moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaves. Diabetes was induced using alloxan monohydrate, after which rats were fed the experimental diets for 28 days. Ten treatment groups (AOA–AOJ), including normal, diabetic, and standard drug control groups, were used, with twelve rats per group. Following induction, fasting blood glucose levels increased markedly from baseline values of approximately 64–65 mg/dL to post-induction levels above 250 mg/dL across diabetic groups. Dietary intervention with the acha–soybean–moringa composite diets resulted in notable reductions in fasting blood glucose, with Day-28 values ranging from 105.57 to 210.0 mg/dL, compared with sustained hyperglycaemia observed in the untreated diabetic control group, 600 mg/dL. Postprandial blood glucose assessment further revealed moderated glycaemic excursions in most composite diet groups relative to the glucose reference, particularly at 90 and 120 minutes post-feeding, indicating improved glucose utilization. Body weight evaluation showed progressive and significant weight gain in rats fed the composite diets over the experimental period. Mean body weights increased from approximately 190–195 g at Week 0 to 218.14–225.00 g by Week 4 (end of study). In contrast, the untreated diabetic control group exhibited continuous weight loss, declining from 189.33 g to 164.00 by the end of the study. These findings demonstrate that acha–, soybean–moringa composite diets possess glycaemic regulatory potential and can mitigate diabetes-associated weight loss, highlighting their promise as sustainable functional foods for dietary management of diabetes mellitus.