Comparative clinical studies of three plant leaves as sources of protein using albino rats

Abstract

The leaves of Euphorbia hirta (locally called "kaka wie adwe"), Ipomea involucrata (lehowa dua) and Launaea taxaracifolia (wild lettuce) were used to assess their effects in animal feeding trials when utilized as source of protein, using albino rats. The animals fed on all the leaf protein diets (at inclusion levels of 5%, 8% and 10%) maintained similar haernatological picture as those fed on the control (casein) diets. Their haemoglobin, red blood cell and white blood cell counts were not significantly different from those animals fed with the control diets (P>0.05). Methionine supplementation did not improve the red blood cell and haemaglobin content of animals fed with Euphorbia hina, ipomoea involucrata and Launaea taxaracifolia leaf protein diets. The activities of aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were not influenced by any of the leaf proteins. However, alanine aminotransferase activity was significantly elevated in the animals fed with the test protein diets (P<0.05). The histopathological studies did not reveal any adverse pathological changes in any of the animals fed with the leaf protein diets