ABSTRACT
Daucus carota (carrot) juice is regarded as an important vegetable juice as it is a rich source of β and α-carotenes, vitamins, minerals and antioxidant compounds. Carrot juice though produced commercially in fruit juice industries is now becoming a regular juice prepared using household devices like juicer and electric blender in several homes. The quality of such juices as well as the safety as regards the effects of short and long-term consumption is very important especially to the health-conscious consumer. Therefore, this study investigates the sensory and physicochemical properties, nutritional composition and health promoting constituents in carrot juice produced using juicer and electric blender. The acute and sub-chronic toxicity studies were also investigated using standard laboratory methods. The experimental design involved the use of juice prepared from carrot roots that were purchased from New Benin market, Benin City, Edo State using juicer and blender respectively. The two juice samples were evaluated for their sensory and physicochemical properties, proximate, nutritional and phytochemical composition. Daucus carota (carrot) juice prepared using only juicer was further diluted at various dilutions of 25%, 50% and 100% and administered at 5mL/kg body weight to wistar rats to assess acute and sub-chronic toxicity of the juice. In the sub-chronic toxicity study, haematological indices, liver and kidney function indices were assessed. The sensory evaluation revealed that carrot juice produced using juicer had higher overall acceptability from panellists than juice from electric blender. Physicochemical analyses revealed an acidic pH and high electrical conductivity. The proximate analyses indicated high moisture content, considerable amount of carbohydrate and low levels of crude protein and fat, fibre and ash. The most abundant nutrients detected in both juices were calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, β-carotene, cysteine and petroselinic acids. GC analyses of the phytochemicals presented coumaric acid, falcarni-acetate and ferulic acid as the most abundant phytochemicals. The values for each of the analysis were significantly different (p < 0.05) in both juices. The 14- day acute toxicity studies indicated that carrot juice administered at various dilutions of 25%, 50% and 100% at 5mL/kg bodyweight did not cause mortality, motor or behavioural abnormalities in both male and female rats. The sub-chronic toxicity studies show that the administration of Daucus carota juice did not cause significant increases (p > 0.05) in plasma activities of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), AST/ALT ratio, gamma glutamyl transferase (ᵧ-GT), total protein, globulin, albumin, total and direct bilirubin, xvi urea, creatinine and electrolytes. There were no marked variations in haematological indices. It can therefore be inferred from this study that Daucus carota (carrot) juice is not only nutritious but also generally safe for consumption at the doses investigated.
