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Topical Area: Climate, Food Systems, Diet, Nutrition and Health

Climate, Food Systems, Diet, Nutrition and Health (Poster Session)

(P02-001-23) Exocarp Portion of Citrullus lanatus L. (Watermelon) Impacts Better Lipoglycemic Control in Experimental Diabetic Rats Than the Mesocarp

Saturday, July 22, 2023

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET

Location: Poster Board 328

Presenting Author(s)

Magnus Michael Chukwudike Anyakudo, MBBS, M.Sc., PhD, B.Th., FRHD, FIPMD

Chair, Department Of Physiology
University of Medical Sciences, Ondo City, Ondo State, Nigeria
Ondo, Ondo, Nigeria

Co-Author(s)

OI

Ogunsan M. Isaac, B.Sc.

University of Medical Sciences

Disclosure(s):

Magnus Michael Chukwudike Anyakudo, MBBS, M.Sc., PhD, B.Th., FRHD, FIPMD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Objectives: This experimentally-controlled designed nutritional study investigated and compared the lipoglycemic and anthropometric potentials of the mesocarp and exocarp portions of watermelon in diabetic male Wistar rats with the rationale to uncover the potential health benefits of watermelon rind in diabetes control.

Methods: Twenty-one (21) adult male Wistar rats (150-220g) were randomly categorized into three experimental groups (n = 7, each): Diabetic control (DCT); Diabetic treated with aqueous extract of mesocarp (DMC); Diabetic treated with aqueous extract of exocarp (DEC). Diabetes was inducted with 150 mg/dL, alloxan monohydrate solution intraperitoneally. Animals were fed according to the experimental design with water ad libitum for six weeks. BW and FBG concentrations were measured twice weekly. LP and OGTT were conducted. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and statistical SPSS program version 22. Results are expressed as mean ± SEM. Comparison between groups was made using Students’t-test and one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan’s multiple range tests.

Results: Mesocarp consumption caused a significant (P = 0.01) decrease in mean body weight gain (18.95%) compared with the exocarp (39.84%) and control (42.21%). The exocarp portion exerted a significant (P = 0.023) hypoglycemic effect (46.65%) twice that of the mesocarp (27.96%) with corresponding significant (P < 0.05) improved glycemic tolerance and lipid profile over the mesocarp. No comparable difference was observed in the peak glycemic responses.

Conclusions: The exocarp portion of watermelon impacts better lipoglycemic control in diabetic rats than the mesocarp without a corresponding effect on weight gain.

Funding Sources: No funding source