ASSESSMENT OF LIPID-LOWERING AND ANTIOXIDANT EFFECT OF BISCUITS PRODUCED WITH GINGER-ENRICHED UNRIPE PLANTAIN/WHEAT FLOUR BLEND IN WISTAR RATS

Metabolic disorders characterized by hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress are leading contributors to cardiovascular diseases worldwide, emphasizing the need for innovative dietary interventions. This study assessed the lipid-lowering and antioxidant effects of biscuits produced from a ginger-enriched composite flour blend of unripe plantain (Musa paradisiaca) and wheat flour in Wistar rats. A total of forty male rats were randomized into eight treatment groups and fed biscuit diets composed of varying ratios of unripe plantain flour (UPF) and wheat flour (WF), with or without ginger and orange peel over a 14-day experimental period. The groups included control diet (100%WF) as well as test groups that received biscuit formulations containing composite flour blends of UPF and WF in the following variations: 0%UPF:100%WF, 50%UPF:50%WF, and 100%UPF:0%WF, enriched with ginger and/or orange peel. The experiment lasted for 14 days, and the rats were sacrificed, and the liver was excised, and blood samples were also collected post￾sacrifice for biochemical analysis of the plasma lipid profile, including total cholesterol, low￾density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglyceride concentrations. Additionally, liver function and in vivo antioxidant enzyme activities, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, were assessed. The results revealed significant (p < 0.05) reductions in total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglycerides. However, there was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in HDL-C levels in rats fed biscuits containing unripe plantain flour enriched with ginger and orange peel compared to the control. Additionally, antioxidant enzyme activities were markedly elevated while oxidative stress markers such as malondialdehyde (MDA) were decreased, indicating improved oxidative status. These findings support that ginger-enriched unripe plantain-wheat flour biscuits possess potent hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects, suggesting their potential as functional foods and nutraceutical candidates for the dietary xii management of hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress-related metabolic conditions. Further studies, including human trials, are recommended to validate these benefits and facilitate the development of commercially viable functional bakery products.