Compensatory Mechanism of Diet Containing Sulphur-Rich Amino Acids in Restoring Neurotoxico-Nutritional Deficits in Konzo Disease Rat Model

Introduction: The present study is aimed at assessing the effect of bitter cassava on blood biochemical parameters of konzo disease induced Wistar rats. Nutritional modification with suphur rich amino acids was used as a measure to correct the impact in rats induced konzo disease.

Method: 25 adult male wistar rats were assigned to 5 experimental groups (i) Control n=5, (ii) cassava only n=5, (iii) cassava + animal feed n=5, (iv) cassava + Eggshell + Brown beans n=5, (v) Eggshell + Brown Beans only n=5. The bitter cassava foods were taken by oral ingestion for a period of 4 weeks. The weights of the rats were checked through the experiment and blood samples were taken from each group into EDTA-lined containers and analyses for blood cyanide, methionine and cysteine levels.

Results: There was significant difference in weight and there was a progressive increase in their success rate as against the cassava only group which decreased in their success rate, hence, differs statistically and significantly (p˂0.05) from the control group. It was observed that the cassava fed group had higher blood level of cyanide far above the normal blood reference range (2.60 – 2.90µg/ml) for cyanides, hence, was seen to be statistically significant as compared to that of the control group. The eggshell and brown beans only group showed high blood levels of methionine that statistically differ significantly (p<0.05) from both the control group and the cassava only group. Blood level of cysteine in the cassava plus eggshell and brown beans group differed significant statistically from the control group.

Conclusion: Sulphur amino acids such as methionine and cysteine are essential for detoxification of the residual cyanogens remaining in insufficiently processed cassava roots. Foods such as cereals and legumes as source of sulphur amino acids should be promoted to prevent paralytic neurotoxico-nutritional disease such as konzo among the poor population.