Assessment of Ricinus communis (Castor Oil) Seed as Potential Protein Source in Weanling Diet Formulations

Protein-rich weanling food products, particularly those from animal sources, are not very accessible and affordable in several developing nations in Africa. Most women resort primarily to the use of only carbohydrate-based food such as cornstarch, to wean their toddlers from breast-feeding. This has led to several children getting affected by protein energy malnutrition and other associated conditions. The need to develop plant-based protein-rich weanling diets is therefore essential to ensure a balance in nutrient intake of toddlers. Growth and maintenance studies using Ricinus communis seed-diet formulations were investigated in wistar rats, to evaluate it’s potential as weanling diet. The diets were formulated using AIN 93G methods for laboratory rats during their growth, pregnancy and lactating periods. Thirty weanling male albino rats (40-60g) were utilized in this study, they were divided into five groups of six rats each based on sample treatment respectively. The groups includes; (CAS) casein diet, (BRC) boiled R. communis diet, (FRC) fermented R. communis diet, (FRC+C) fermented R. communis plus charcoal diet, and (NFD) nitrogen free diet. The rats were housed in individual metabolic cages equipped to separate faeces and urine. The growth study lasted for 21 days followed by a 7 days maintenance period. The proximate composition showed that R. communis seeds is high in protein (33.25%) and fat (37.70%). Boiling and fermentation treatments decreased the protein (23.13 and 20.37%) and fat (24.5 and 21.0%) contents, respectively. Sample-based diets were least consumed by the rats, which showed retarded growth as well, compared to CAS control and NFD diet groups. The nitrogen balanced studies showed that over 80% of the nitrogen consumed from the test diet were absorbed and retained, suggesting high utilization of the seed nitrogen.