Project Abstract

Project Overview

<p> <b></b></p><p><b><b>INTRODUCTION</b></b></p><p><b><b></b></b></p><b><b><p><b>1.1 &nbsp; BACKGROUND OF STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>Soybean<br>is one of the most economical and nutritious foods which can combat the<br>diseases stemming from malnutrition and the nutraceutical ingredients present<br>in it and can reduce the risk of major chronic diseases like cancer,<br>atherosclerosis, osteoporosis and diabetes (Vineet, 2007). Soybean is an<br>excellent source of quality protein and compares well with animal protein in<br>essential amino acids pattern with the exception of sulphur containing amino<br>acids. Soybean is the concentrated source of vegetable proteins. It contains<br>about 40%protein and 20% oil.</p><p>Proteins<br>are abundantly rich in lysine which is a limiting amino acid in most of the<br>cereals. Soy fat being highly unsaturated has been found to be nutritionally<br>desirable. Therefore, it can easily supplement the diet of poor Indians<br>(Chauhan, 2005). It has high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, such as<br>linoleic and linolenic acids, it is considered as highly healthful oil. The<br>ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acid to saturated fatty acid is 82:18, which is<br>highly conducive to lower the blood cholesterol. Soy food contains most of the<br>desirable characteristics therefore; it may be treated as consummate functional<br>food.</p><p>Soybean<br>also contains many minor substances, which are biologically active non<br>nutritive components known as “phytochemicals”, “isoflavones” or “phytoestrogen” also known as<br>coumesterol or “plant estrogen” very<br>similar to that of female sex hormone estrogen) with very weak activity of<br>estrogen, which offers unique health benefits.</p><p>Soybean<br>is a good source of niacin, riboflavin, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium,<br>and phosphorous with several fat and water soluble vitamin Bcomplex (Tripathi,<br>2005). Soybeans are often called the “miracle crop.” They are the world’s<br>foremost provider of vegetable protein and oil. The bushy, green soybean plant<br>is a legume related to peas, groundnuts (peanuts) and alfalfa.</p><p>Soybeans<br>are included in the category of oilseed, which is a generic reference to crops<br>with seeds that can produce edible and/or non-edible oil in economic<br>quantities. The most versatile of the world’s major crops, soybeans can be<br>grown in a wider variety of soil and climatic conditions than any other major<br>world crop. Consequently, soybeans are the most widely grown oilseed in the<br>world. In the last 20 years, scientists have learned how to extract a much<br>wider variety of byproducts from soybeans that are proving beneficial in animal<br>feed, human food and industrial applications.</p><p>Rats have a long history in medical research.<br>They were the first mammalian species specifically domesticated to be used in<br>the laboratory. They are thought to have originated in some parts of Asia; <i>Rattus</i>&nbsp;<i>rattus </i>was<br>well established in Europe by 1100 A.D., with <i>Rattus norvegicus </i>commonly found in Europe in the 1700s. By the 1800s, these animals<br>were used for neuro-anatomy studies in the United States and in Europe. It was<br>in the late 1800s and early 1900s that individual stocks and strains had their<br>beginnings (Animals in research, 2013; Sengupta, 2013).</p><p>The success of the rat in research today has<br>been linked to the Wistar Institute in the United States of America, when in<br>1906, the institute developed the Wistar albino strain (<i>Rattus norvegicus</i>) (The Wistar Institute: History, 2007).<br>Currently, there are 117 albino strains of the laboratory rat, all of which can<br>be traced genetically back to the one rat, likely to have arisen as a mutation from<br>a hooded (piebald) rat strain (Animals in research, 2013).</p><p><b>1.2 &nbsp; STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>Soy<br>bean is a legume that is very rich in vitamins and when mixed with other grains<br>to be used as a complementary food can also improve hormonal functionality. But<br>in a situation of determining the effect of it in hormonal growth of rat<br>becomes a little bit problematic in the sense that there might be inadequate<br>instrument for the experiment to be carried out, secondly might be that there<br>might be no competent hands in the laboratory to carry out the experiment. Thirdly<br>could be that there are no good laboratory set up to carry out all the<br>necessary experiment needed. Finally, there have been several research carried<br>out on the effect of soya bean but there have been no single research carried<br>out on the effect of soy groundnut mixed grain complementary food on the level<br>of selected food on the growth of hormones in male weaning wistars rat.</p><p><b>1.3 &nbsp; AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The main aim of the study is to examine<br>the effect of soy groundnut mixed grain complementary food on the levels of<br>selected growth hormones in male weaning wistars rat. Other specific objectives<br>of the study include:</p><p>1. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>to determine the effect of soy groundnut<br>on the growth hormones in male weaning wistars rat.</p><p>2. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>to determine the factors affecting the<br>growth hormones of male weaning wistars rat.</p><p>3. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>to determine the extent to which soy<br>groundnut affects the growth hormones in male weaning wistars rats.</p><p>4. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>to proffer possible solutions to the<br>problems.</p><p><b>1.4 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</b><b>RESEARCH QUESTIONS</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>1 &nbsp; What is the effect of soy groundnut on the<br>growth hormones in male weaning wistars rat?</p><p>2 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What are the factors affecting the growth<br>hormones of male weaning wistars rat?</p><p>3 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What is the extent to which soy groundnut<br>affects the growth hormones in male weaning wistars rats?</p><p>4 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What are the possible solutions to the<br>problems?</p><p><b>1.5 &nbsp; STATEMENT OF RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>Hypothesis<br>1</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>H0: &nbsp; Soy groundnut mixed grain complementary food<br>has no significant effect on growth hormones in male wistars rats.</p><p>H1: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Soy groundnut<br>mixed grain complementary food has a significant effect on growth hormones in<br>male wistars rats.</p><p><b>Hypothesis 2</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>H0:</b><br>There is no significant difference in growth hormones in male weaning wister<br>rats.</p><p><b>H1:</b><br>There is significant difference in growth hormones in male weaning wister rats</p><p><b>1.6 &nbsp; SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The study on the effect of soy<br>groundnut mixed grain complementary food on the levels of selected growth<br>hormones in male weaning wistars rats will be of immense benefit to the entire<br>laboratories in the sense that it will enable laboratory scientist to examine<br>the effect of complementary food on the growth hormones of wistars rat; due to<br>the fact that most laboratory experiment is normally carried out on rat before<br>carrying it out on human, it will therefore give them the result or the reaction<br>they seek in rat before human; this will give them a clue of what will happen<br>to human beings when they eventually take soy groundnut mixed grain<br>complementary food. Finally, the study will contribute to the body of existing<br>literature and knowledge to this field of study and basis for further research.<br>&nbsp;</p><p><b>1.7 &nbsp; SCOPE OF STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>The<br>study on the effect of soy groundnut mixed grain complementary food is limited<br>to growth hormones in male weaning wistars rat.</p><p><b>1.8 &nbsp; LIMITATION OF STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>Financial constraint</b>–<br>Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for<br>the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data<br>collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).<b></b></p><b><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>Time constraint</b>–<br>The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic<br>work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.<b></b></p><b><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>1.9 &nbsp; DEFINITION OF TERMS</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>Effect</b>A change which is a<br>result or consequence of an action or other cause.<b></b></p><b><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>Soy Groundnut</b>The soybean, or soya<br>bean, is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible<br>bean, which has numerous uses.<b></b></p><b><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>Growth Hormones</b>Also known as<br>somatotropin, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction,<br>and cell regeneration in humans and other animals.<b></b></p><b><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>Wistars<br>Rat </b>This is a laboratory<br>rat with its red eyes and white furs is an iconic model organism for research<br>in a variety of fields.</p></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b> <br><p></p>