Saponins and phenolic content in plant dietary additives of a traditional subsistence community, the Batemi of Ngorongoro District, Tanzania

Reports of plants added to milk and meal-based soups by the Maasai and Bate mi in Last Africa support a role for phenolic antioxidants and hypocholesle rolemic agents in the diet, and provide explanation of the low incidence of cardiovascular disease of populations that traditionally consume high leve ls of dietary fat and cholesterol. Plant food additives used by the Batemi of Ngorongoro District, Tanzania, were tabulated, based on interviews with 22 informants, while 17 specimens were collected in the field and analyzed for saponin and phenolic content. A total of 81% of the Batemi additives an d 82% of those known to be used by the Maasai contain potentially hypochole sterolemic saponins and/or phenolics. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd . All rights reserved.