Publication:

Effects of Gongronema latifolium on blood lipids, lipoproteins and glucose values in adult Nigerians

Background The study evaluates the beneficial effects or otherwise of Gongronema latifolium (utazi) consumption on plasma lipid profile and blood glucose in healthy subjects.

Methods The study was conducted on twenty (20) apparently healthy subjects (10 males and 10 females), within the age range of 20-55years who were randomly recruited from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) staff and medical students in Nnewi Campus. Twenty experimental subjects (10 males and 10 females) were fed with 5g/day of fresh Gongronema latifolium leaves for six weeks. Blood samples were collected at baseline and every week for six weeks and the biochemical parameters analyzed using standard laboratory methods.

Results There were significant reductions in the levels of plasma glucose (3.85 ± 0.14 vs. 4.92 ± 0.31 mmol/l), cholesterol (3.60 ± 0.43 vs. 4.56 ± 0.67 mmol/l), triglycerides (0.73 ± 0.19 vs. 0.96 ± 0.20 mmol/l), Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) (1.97 ± 0.48 vs. 2.70 ± 0.67 mmol/l) and LDL-C/High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (1.32 ± 0.44 vs. 2.11 ± 0.72 mmol/l) of the subjects that were fed with Gongronema latifolium leaves for six weeks compared with their baseline values; all P <0.05.

Conclusion The result of this study showed that Gongronema latifolium has hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effect on healthy subjects and might be beneficial for the management of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases.