Nutritional Quality and Safety of Complementary Foods Developed from Ethiopian Staple Grains and Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera) Larvae: An In-Vivo Study Using BALB/c Mice Models

Abstract

In sub-Saharan Africa, poor complementary feeding practices, mainly nutritionally inadequate, are an important factor contributing to infant and child malnutrition, associated with stunting, and high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, novel complementary foods need to be developed to alleviate malnutrition problems in infants and young children. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional quality and safety of complementary foods developed from Ethiopian staple grains and honeybee larvae (Apis Mellifera) using mice models. Three Ethiopian staple grains constituted the composite flours that were formulated with two different ratios. Samples of teff, maize, soybean, and bee larvae were ground into flour and blended before extrusion as follows: ComF01 (57 % maize, 29 % teff, and 14 % soybean) and ComF02 (58 % maize, 29 % teff, and 13 % bee larvae). NutriSurvey software (version, 2007) was used for calculate the composite flours ratios. The nutritional, microbial, and sensory analysis of the developed foods was conducted with standard methods, and an in-vivo study was conducted for growth performance and biochemical assessment using mice. A complete randomized design was used, and a total of 75 BALB/c mice were assigned to each of the five treatments. The treatments were: T1 = Casein diet; T2 = 57 % Maize, 29 % Teff, 14 % Soybean; T3 = 58 % Maize, 29 % Teff, 13 % Bee larvae; T4 = Commercial wean mix; and T5 = Basal diet alone (corn starch (610 g/kg), wheat bran (50 g/kg), vegetable oil (100 g/kg), mineral and vitamin premix (50 g/kg), glucose (60 g/kg), oyster shell (20 g/kg), sucrose (88 g/kg), bone meal (20 g/kg), and NaCl (2 g/kg)). The in-vivo experiment trial was done for 28 days along with seven days of acclimatization. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23. The proximate composition of moisture, fiber, fat, carbohydrate, and energy was significantly different (P<0.001) between the developed foods. ComF02 recorded the highest fat, energy, vitamin A, B3, and B9 content, which were 14.3 g/100g, 427.18 kcal/100g, 706 µg/100g, 8.2 mg/100g, and 86.7 mg/100g, respectively, while the highest protein content (12.56 g/100g) was in ComF01. ComF02 has the highest iron (40.94 mg/100g) and calcium (68.20 mg/100g) content. The highest tannins and phytate content were recorded on ComF01. The microbial and sensory quality of the developed complementary foods were safe and acceptable. An in-vivo mice model study revealed that dietary intake was not significantly different (P = 0.96) between treatments; however, T2 (38.39 g) and T3 (38.52 g) had gained the highest final body weight. The highest spleen weight was recorded on T2 (0.53 g). Biochemical parameters (mg/dl) of T4 had the lowest serum protein (6.27) and globulin (3.61). T3 significantly (P < 0.001) increased WBC (4 x 106 mm3), RBC (11.37 x 103 mm3), haemoglobin (16.42 g/dl), and haematocrit (63.04 %) compared to others. HDL-C (67.18) and LDL-C (71.73) were lipid profiles (mg/dl) with the highest content in T3. T3 had low CRI-I, CRI-II (1.07), and AC (0.84). LDL-C was positively correlated with all atherogenic indices, while HDL-C levels were negatively correlated. The highest serum mineral (mg/dl) levels of zinc (0.55) and iron (2.08) were reported on T2, while the highest calcium content (10.64) was reported on T1. Overall, the bee larvae can be used to develop complementary foods that are nutritionally adequate, microbial safe, and sensory acceptable, meeting the dietary allowance of infants at an acceptable level. Also, can aid body growth, and prevent malnutrition in infants and young children. However, research on the clinical and histopathological effects of newly developed complementary foods is needed.