Legumes are valued worldwide as a sustainable and inexpensive meat alternative and are considered the second most important food source after cereals. Legumes are nutritionally valuable, providing proteins (20–45%) with essential amino acids, complex carbohydrates (±60%) and dietary fibre (5–37%). Legumes also have no cholesterol and are generally low in fat, with ±5% energy from fat, with the exception of peanuts (±45%), chickpeas (±15%) and soybeans (±47%) and provide essential minerals and vitamins. In addition to their nutritional superiority, legumes have also been ascribed economical, cultural, physiological and medicinal roles owing to their possession of beneficial bioactive compounds. Research has shown that most of the bioactive compounds in legumes possess antioxidant properties, which play a role in the prevention of some cancers, heart diseases, osteoporosis and other degenerative diseases. Because of their composition, legumes are attractive to health conscious consumers, celiac and diabetic patients as well as consumers concerned with weight management. The incorporation of legumes in diets, especially in developing countries, could play a major role in eradicating proteinenergy malnutrition especially in developing Afro-Asian countries. Legumes could be a base for the development of many functional foods to promote human health.

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The Role of Legumes in Human Nutrition

Plants of the genus Terminalia are amongst the most widely used plants for traditional medicinal purposes worldwide. Many species are used for their antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antiviral, antidiarrhoeal, analgesic, antimalarial, antioxidant, antiinflammatory and anticancer activities. Wound healing and cardiovascular effects have also been credited to some species. Many Terminalia species have multiple beneficial effects for multiple diseases and ailments. Indeed, the Indian species Terminalia chebula is known as the king of plants in Ayurveda due to its broad range of medicinal uses. However, apart from the reported ethnopharmacological uses of many Terminalia species, surprisingly few studies have rigorously examined this important genus for their medical properties/mechanisms and phytochemistry. This is likely due to the high tannin content common to many Terminalia species and the perception that these tannins may be responsible for much of their beneficial properties. As the complexities of tannins make them poor candidates for drug design, most interest in Terminalia species has been for their pharmacognostic and nutraceutical value and they have often been overlooked as potentials for drug discovery. However, recent reports have identified many other interesting phytochemicals and demonstrated that these may be responsible for several of the reported bioactivities of the Terminalia species used in traditional medicinal systems. The last decade has seen a large increase in the number of studies into the use of Terminalia species as therapeutic agents. Several species used in Ayurvedic medicine (Terminalia arjuna, Terminalia bellerica, Terminalia catappa, T. chebula) in particular have received much recent attention. Similarly, recent reports have also highlighted the medicinal potential of species from Africa, Australia and the Americas. The aim of this report is to summarise the recent research into the medicinal properties, phytochemistry and therapeutic mechanisms of Terminalia species and thus to highlight and direct future areas of research into the medicinal activities of this important genus.

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The medicinal properties and phytochemistry of plants of the genus Terminalia (Combretaceae)

Effect of extrusion on the anti-nutritional factors of food products: An overview

Diabetes mellitus is a multifactorial global health disorder that is rising at an alarming rate. Cardiovascular diseases, kidney damage and neuropathy are the main cause of high mortality rates among individuals with diabetes. One effective therapeutic approach for controlling hyperglycemia associated with type-2 diabetes is to target alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase, enzymes that catalyzes starch hydrolysis in the intestine. At present, approved inhibitors for these enzymes are restricted to acarbose, miglitol and voglibose. Although these inhibitors retard glucose absorption, undesirable gastrointestinal side effects impede their application. Therefore, research efforts continue to seek novel inhibitors with improved efficacy and minimal side effects. Natural products of plant origin have been a valuable source of therapeutic agents with lesser toxicity and side effects. The anti-diabetic potential through alpha-glucosidase inhibition of plant-derived molecules are summarized in this review. Eight molecules (Taxumariene F, Akebonoic acid, Morusin, Rhaponticin, Procyanidin A2, Alaternin, Mulberrofuran K and Psoralidin) were selected as promising drug candidates and their pharmacokinetic properties and toxicity were discussed where available.

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A review of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors from plants as potential candidates for the treatment of type-2 diabetes.

Human trypanosoma infections like the ones seen in Africa and South America are unknown in India. The only exception in literature is of two documented cases of a self-limiting febrile illness, being attributed to Trypanosoma lewisi like parasites. We are reporting an unusual case of trypanosomiasis from the rural parts of Chandrapur district in Maharashtra. An adult male farmhand who used to practice veterinary medicine also, presented with history of febrile episodes on and off since five months and drowsiness before admission to this Institute. Though routine blood and other investigations were within normal limits, the peripheral smear showed a large number of trypanosomes which morphologically resembled the species Trypanosoma evansi, the aetiological agent of surra - a form of animal trypanosomiasis. A battery of assays covering the spectrum of parasitology, serology, and molecular biology confirmed the infecting parasite to be T. evansi. Failure to demonstrate the central nervous system (CNS) involvement, as evidenced by the absence of parasite in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) advocated the use of suramin - the drug of choice in early stage African trypanosomiasis without any CNS involvement. Suramin achieved cure in our patient. The case is being reported because of its unique nature as the patient was not immunocompromised and showed infestation with a parasite which normally does not affect human beings.

Case Report - A RARE CASE OF HUMAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS CAUSED BY TRYPANOSOMA EVANSI

Pathogenic mechanisms of Trypanosoma evansi infections.

This research analyzed the effect of processing (boiling and roasting) on the proximate, antinutrient, and mineral composition of Vigna subterranea seeds. The proximate composition analysis showed significant difference ( ) between the levels of crude lipid, crude fiber, gross energy, carbohydrate, and moisture content in the raw and processed V. subterranea. However, no significant difference ( ) was observed in protein content of processed V. subterranea as compared to the raw seeds. Analyses of antinutrient composition show that processing significantly reduced the levels of oxalate, tannins, phytate, trypsin inhibitor, and hydrogen cyanide contents of V. subterranea. While magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus were the most abundant macrominerals in V. subterranea, zinc was the most abundant micromineral. Correlation analysis revealed that the levels of crude protein, ash, moisture, and lipid were negatively affected by phytate, tannins, and oxalate. The results, therefore, suggest that processing significantly lowered the levels of antinutrients in V. subterranea, thereby making it safer for consumption.

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Effects of Processing (Boiling and Roasting) on the Nutritional and Antinutritional Properties of Bambara Groundnuts (Vigna subterranea [L.] Verdc.) from Southern Kaduna, Nigeria

The research was aimed at determining the degree of antinutritional factors in palm oil and groundnut oil and to know the effect of these factors on the nutritional value of these oils and to know the possible preventive measures. Antinutritional factors are substances found in most food substances which are poisonous to humans and in some ways limit the nutrient availability to the body. The groundnut oil and palm oil were extracted using the soxhlet extraction method. Oxalate and phytate were determined using titration method and aflatoxin was determined using thin layer chromatography. Tannin, trypsin inhibitor, cyanogenic glycosides, hemagglutinin and alkaloids were determined using different procedures. The lethal level of anti-nutritional factors is 50-60 mg/kg for cyanogenic glycosides and phytate and 2.5 g/kg for oxalate and trypsin inhibitor, the lethal doses of these substances were higher compared to the amount that can be possibly found in a food substance at a time from the findings of this research work, groundnut oil contains a higher concentration of the analyzed anti-nutritional factors compared to palm oil.

Comparative Determination of Antinutritional Factors in Groundnut Oil and Palm Oil

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and its development is frequently associated with oxidative stress-induced by carcinogens such as arsenicals. Most foods are basically health-promoting or disease-preventing and a typical example of such type is honey. This study was undertaken to investigate the ameliorative effects of Acacia honey on sodium arsenite-induced oxidative stress in the heart, lung and kidney tissues of male Wistar rats. Male Wistar albino rats divided into four groups of five rats each were administered distilled water, Acacia honey (20%), sodium arsenite (5 mg/kg body weight), Acacia honey, and sodium arsenite daily for one week. They were sacrificed anesthetically using 60 mg/kg sodium pentothal. The tissues were used for the assessment of glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities, protein content and lipid peroxidation. Sodium arsenite significantly <path id="x1D443" d="M619 482q0 -69 -40.5 -119t-96 -72.5t-118.5 -26.5h-44l-70 20l-31 -151q-14 -67 0.5 -83t89.5 -22l-5 -28h-287l8 28q65 7 81.5 22t29.5 83l79 398q12 56 0.5 70.5t-78.5 20.5l7 28h255q108 0 164 -43t56 -125zM524 478q0 141 -146 141q-25 0 -47 -8q-16 -6 -20.5 -13.5
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q0 -76 10 -138.5t37 -107.5t69 -45q32 0 55.5 25t35.5 68.5t17.5 91.5t5.5 105t-5.5 105.5t-18 92t-36 68t-56.5 24.5z" /> <path id="x35" d="M153 550l-26 -186q79 31 111 31q90 0 141.5 -51t51.5 -119q0 -93 -89 -166q-85 -69 -173 -71q-32 0 -61.5 11.5t-41.5 23.5q-18 17 -17 34q2 16 22 33q14 9 26 -1q61 -50 124 -50q60 0 93 43.5t33 104.5q0 69 -41.5 110t-121.5 41q-53 0 -102 -20l38 305h286l6 -8
l-26 -65h-233z" /> suppressed the glutathione peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase activities with simultaneous induction of lipid peroxidation. Administration of Acacia honey significantly increased glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities with concomitant suppression of lipid peroxidation as evident by the decrease in malondialdehyde level. From the results obtained, Acacia honey mitigates sodium arsenite induced-oxidative stress in male Wistar albino rats, which suggest that it may attenuate oxidative stress implicated in chemical carcinogenesis.

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Ameliorative Effects of Acacia Honey against Sodium Arsenite-Induced Oxidative Stress in Some Viscera of Male Wistar Albino Rats.

The aim of this research was to find out if there were any differences in nutrient composition of Citrullus vulgaries (water melon) during storage period after plucking were studied. The moisture content from Zaria and Kaduna (Central Market) was found to be 94.6 and 94.2%, respectively while that from Jaji was 93.4% due to the period of storage. The ash content from Kaduna and Zaria were 0.55 and 0.50, respectively while that from Jaji was 0.50. The dry powder of the whole water melon was fairly rich in lipids (Jaji 0.15%, Zaria 0.10% and Central Market 0.10%) while an acceptable amount of protein was found (Jaji 0.50, Zaria 0.50 and Central market 0.60). Mg, Ca, and Fe were also found in the samples. The result of this work suggest that water melon fruit that cannot be consumed within the shelf life period can be dried, ground into powder and used as animal feed supplement instead of leaving to spoil.

Idowu A. Aimola

Papers

Pathogenic mechanisms of Trypanosoma evansi infections.

Effects of Processing (Boiling and Roasting) on the Nutritional and Antinutritional Properties of Bambara Groundnuts (Vigna subterranea [L.] Verdc.) from Southern Kaduna, Nigeria

Comparative Determination of Antinutritional Factors in Groundnut Oil and Palm Oil

Ameliorative Effects of Acacia Honey against Sodium Arsenite-Induced Oxidative Stress in Some Viscera of Male Wistar Albino Rats.

Determination of Differences in Nutrient Composition of Citrullus vulgaries (Water Melon) Fruits after Plucking