Antinutritional, antioxidant and invitro antidiabetic properties of plantain flour supplemented with African locust beans

The aim of the study was to determine the antinutritional, antioxidant, and in vitro antidiabetic properties of plantain flour supplemented with African locust beans. Flour blends were produced from plantain and locust beans in the following ratios of plantain: locust beans: 95:5, 90:10, 85:15, 80:20, and 100% plantain as control. Antinutritional (oxalate, phytate, saponin, and alkaloid), antioxidant (DPPH, FRAP, ABTS, and OH), and in vitro antidiabetic (α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory) analyses were carried out on the flour blends. The antinutritional results showed that oxalate ranged from 6.10 to 12.83 mg/g, phytate ranged from 36.66 to 52.24 mg/g, saponin content ranged from 2.82 to 30.24 mg/g, and total alkaloid content ranged from 6.92 to 23.59%. The antioxidant results indicated that the DPPH value ranged from 51.95 to 57.89%, ABTS ranged from 30.41 to 48.37%, the FRAP value ranged from 42.37 to 65.77 mg Vit. C/g, phenol content ranged between 3.99 and 9.46 mg GAE/g, and flavonoid content ranged between 0.44 and 5.79 mg QE/g. The α-amylase inhibitory activity ranged from 36.56 to 91.24%, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity ranged from 39.09 to 82.34%. It can be concluded that the supplementation of plantain flour to African locust beans exhibits promising antioxidant and antidiabetic properties, which could be beneficial in boosting the immune system and reducing blood sugar levels. Therefore, the blended flour can be exploited as a functional ingredient in food products such as baked foods, snacks, and cereals targeting consumers seeking health benefits.