초록
This study was conducted to investigate the growth rate and hematological changes of the rats when supplemented with the powdered tubers of chufa(Cyperus esculentus) for four weeks. Nutritional composition of the powdered tuber of chufa is crude lipid(22.3%), crude protein(7.0%), crude fiber(8.8%), ash(5.1%), nitrogen free extract(48.9%) and water(7.9%), respectively. Sixteen Sprague-Dawley male $rats(173.1\pm3.8$ g) were randomly divided into two groups, control group and chufa group. Rats in control group were fed with American Institute of Nutrition(AIN)-76 diet and rats in chufa group were fed with modified AIN-76 diet contained the powdered tubers of chufa at the proportion of 26% of total diet in order to substitute the oil content of AIN-76 diet. Final body weight, gain of body weight and feed intake of rats in chufa group were larger than those of rats in control group significantly. But feeding efficiency of rats in chufa group was less than that of rats in control group significantly. All hematological values such as hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit and serological values such as glucose, total protein, albumin, AST, ALT, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and triglyceride were not significantly different between control and chufa group, respectively. Thus powdered tuber of chufa showed good tastefulness and did not provoke any adverse effect to the health indicators of rats. Therefore tuber of chufa would be used as new adequate feed resource for animals and possibly as suitable food resource for humans.