Effects of enriching sorghum-wheat bun diet with snail meat powder on blood glucose and glycemic responses in healthy rats

Fredrick B. Agengo^{1, 2*},Arnold N. Onyango¹,Charlotte A. Serrem²,Judith K. Okoth¹

¹Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Department of Human Nutrition Sciences, P.O. Box 62000-00200, Nairobi – Kenya
²University of Eldoret, School of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Department of Food, Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, P.O. Box 1125 – 30100, Eldoret – Kenya

ARTICLE INFO	ABSTRACT
TYPE: Original scientific paper https://doi.org/10.17508/CJFST.2025.17.1.07 PDF	Protein diets play a critical role in regulating energy intake and metabolism, which influences the glycemic response of the body to carbohydrates by lowering insulin activity and reducing fat deposition in adipose tissue. This study aimed to determine the effects of enriching the sorghum-wheat bun diet with snail meat powder on blood glucose and glycemic responses in healthy rats. Buns were prepared by replacing portions of the composite sorghum-wheat flour with 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% snail meat powder (SMP). Postprandial blood glucose responses were monitored by sampling blood from the tail tips of healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats at intervals of 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 minutes, using a glucose testing device. The glycemic index (GI) for each diet was determined by calculating the incremental area under the blood glucose response curve over two hours. The glycemic load (GL) was then calculated by multiplying the glycemic index percentage by the total grams of carbohydrates in the diets consumed. Enriching at 25% with SMP significantly reduced the total area under the curve for blood glucose responses, lowered the dietary glycemic index from 79 to 58, and decreased the glycemic load from a high of 26 to an intermediate level of 17. Sorghum-wheat buns enriched with SMP have the potential to reduce protein deficiencies, address hidden hunger, regulate blood glucose responses, and enhance blood glucose control in healthy rats. Diets that promote stable, low blood glucose levels provide benefits in regulating metabolic responses.
*CORRESPONDENCE Fredrick B. Agengo fagengo@yahoo.co.uk
ARTICLE HISTORY Received: December 16, 2024 Accepted: February 27, 2025
CITATION Agengo BF, Onyango AN, Serrem CA, Okoth JK. Effects of enriching sorghum-wheat bun diet with snail meat powder on blood glucose and glycemic responses in healthy rats. Croatian Journal of Food Science and Technology (2025) 17 (1) 101-110
COPYRIGHT: © 2024 by the author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).
	KEYWORDS protein diets; glycemic responses; enriching; blood glucose; sorghum-wheat buns
	KEY CONTRIBUTION The sorghum-wheat bun diet was enriched with snail meat powder as a protein source. An enriched diet significantly reduced blood glucose levels in healthy rats. Glycemic responses were improved compared to the control diet. Findings suggest the potential of snail meat as a functional food ingredient. The study demonstrates a novel approach to enhancing glycemic control through diet.