Assessment of the physiological changes induced by sodium nitrite, annatto or mono sodium glutamate in male albino rats

Background: food additives are added to most junk and fast foods, especially those for kids. Sodium nitrite is an inorganic salt with widespread applications in the food industry as a color fixative and preservative in meat and fish. Annatto extract is a natural food color obtained from the outer coatings of the seeds of the Annatto tree [Bixa orellana L.]. Monosodium glutamate [MSG], the sodium salt of amino acid glutamate, is a food additive that popularly used all over the world as "flavor enhancer"

Aim of the work: this study was aimed to determine the hazardous effects of sodium nitrite, annatto and monosodium glutamate on some physiological parameters in male albino rats

Materials and methods: this study had been done on fourty male albino rats with an average body weight 100-145 g. The animals were divided into four groups; Group 1: control [untreated group], Group 2: sodium nitrite treated group, Group 3: annatto treated group and Group 4: monosodium glutamate treated group. Blood samples were collected, sera were separated and used for estimation of some biochemical parameters [liver enzymes, kidney functions, glucose, protein profile and lipid profile] and hormonal levels [testosterone, T3 [triiodothyronine] and T4 [thyroxine]]

Results: the biochemical results showed an increase in the activities of liver enzymes [aspartate aminotransferase [ASAT] and alanine aminotransferase [ALAT]], and the levels of glucose, kidney functions [urea, and creatinine], lipid profile [total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein [LDL-C]] and thyroid hormones [thyroxin [T4] and triiodothyronine [T3]] in all treated groups when compared to the control group. A drop in protein profile [total protein, albumin, globulin and A/G ratio], testosterone hormone and HDL level were observed in the treated groups as compared to the control rats

Conclusion: it could be concluded that some food additives like sodium nitrite, annatto, and monosodium glutamate have extreme effects on liver and kidney functions, protein and lipid profiles and also on thyroid and testosterone hormones. So, it is recommended to minimize the use of these additives to protect young children and mature people from these destructive effects

Adverse effects of two kinds of food additive mixtures [flavor enhancer, food preservative or food coloring agent] on physiological parameters in young male albino rats

Background: food additives are substances used in food industry in order to improve the food's taste, appearance by preserving its flavor and preventing it from souring. Food additives are added to the most junk and fast foods, especially food for kids

Aim of the work: this work was aimed to investigate the adverse effects of some food additives on the biochemical parameters in addition to study the side effects of these food additives in male albino rats

Materials and Methods: this study was performed on twenty four young male albino rats with an average 120-145 g body weight. Animals were divided into four groups [6 /cage]; Group I [Control untreated group], Group II [administered orally with sodium nitrite [0.1 mg/kg b.wt./day] and annatto [0.065 mg/kg b.wt./day]], Group III [administered orally with sodium nitrite [0.1 mg/kg b.wt./day] and monosodium glutamate [MSG] [15 mg/kg b.wt./day]] and Group IV [administered orally with annatto [0.065 mg/kg b.wt./day] and monosodium glutamate [15 mg/kg b.wt./day]]. Blood samples were collected on the last day of experiment, for biochemical estimations which included levels of serum glucose, total protein [TP], albumin, creatinine, urea, testosterone , thyroid hormones [T3 and T4], activities of AST and ALT in addition to lipid profile

Results: showed marked elevation in levels of fasting glucose, activities of AST, ALT, urea, creatinine, total cholesterol [TC], triglycerides [TG] and high density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C], VLDL and ratios of TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C [risk factors] as well as albumin / globulin ratio and serum thyroid hormones [T3 and T4] accompanied with marked decline in levels of serum total proteins, albumin, globulin, albumin/ creatinine ratio, testosterone and HDL-C in all treated groups in comparison to the control group. There was a significant reduction in the body weight in groups that received [NaNO2 with annatto] and [MSG with NaNO2] while treated rats with [MSG and annatto] showed a significant increase in body weight as compared to control rats

Conclusion: Due to the harmful effects of food additives, the use of these compounds must be limited as it resulted in a vehement disturbance in the biochemical and physiological parameters that was grievously pronounced on many hormones

Effects of some food additives on some biochemical parameters in young male albino rats and the ameliorative role of royal jelly

Background: the use of food additives is one of the most important problems in the human health nutrition field. Food additives are widely used for various purposes; including preservation, coloring, and sweetening, however, the physiological and biochemical changes may be produced

Aim of the work: was to investigate the protective role of royal jelly [RJ] against abnormalities in metabolic biochemical parameters that induced by these food additives in male albino rats

Materials and Methods: thirty young male albino rats with an average body weight 120-140 g were divided into three groups [10/cage]; Group I: served as normal control group, Group II: rats orally administrated with the mixture which consists of sodium nitrite [NaNO2 0.1 mg/kg b.wt./ day], annatto [0.065 mg/kg b.wt./day] and monosodium glutamate [MSG 15 mg/kg b.wt./day] and Group III: rats orally administrated with the previous mixture and then orally administrated with royal jelly [14.28 mg/kg b.wt./day soluble in maize oil]. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected for biochemical estimations which including levels of serum glucose, creatinine, urea, testosterone, thyroid hormones [T3 and T4], activities of AST and ALT, total protein [TP], albumin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein [HDL-c] and low-density lipoprotein [LDL-c]

Results: the present study showed marked elevation in levels of fasting blood glucose, activities of AST, ALT, levels of serum urea, creatinine, TC, TG, LDL-c, VLDLand ratios of TC/HDL-c and LDL-c/HDL-c [risk factors] as well as albumin /globulin ratio and serum thyroid hormones [T3andT4] accompanied with significant reduction in the body weight, serum total proteins, albumin, globulin, albumin/creatinine, testosterone and HDL-C concentrations in the group that administrated with the mixture which consists of [NaNO2, MSG and annatto] as compared to control rats. While administration with royal jelly significantly ameliorated the disturbed biochemical parameters and showed significant improvement in most of these parameters

Conclusion: it could be concluded that royal jelly offers a therapeutic advantage that minimizes the metabolic abnormalities and biochemical changes which induced by these food additives

potential protective effect of stem cell enhancer on chronic bisphenol-a treated female albino rats

Background: The xenoestrogen, bisphenol-A [BPA], is a worldwide food contaminant with endocrine disruptor activity that is incorporated in many plastic industries. The exposure of humans to such substances starts early during the fetal life, postnatal life and extends throughout the life of the individual. Many agencies raised warnings against the excessive use of these substances

Aim of the work: The present study was designed to determine if the usage of stem cell enhancer [SE] moderates the physiological changes occasioned by exposure to BPA in the female albino rats

Materials and Methods: This study was performed on thirty female albino rats with an average 100-120 g body weight. The animals were divided into three groups; Group I [Control untreated-group], Group II [bisphenol­A treated group] and Group III [treated group orally supplied with bisphenol ­A then treated with stem cell Enhancer [SE]]. Serum was separated and used for estimation of hormonal levels [estradiol, progesterone, prolactin [PRL], follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH] and luteinizing hormone [LH]], some biochemical parameters [liver enzymes, kidney function, glucose and lipid profile] and CA-125 and CA 15-3 tumor markers

Results: The biochemical results showed marked significant increase [P<0.01] in the enzyme activities [aspartate aminotransferase [ASAT], alanine aminotransferase [ALAT] and alkaline phosphatase [ALP]], urea and creatinine in bisphenol­A treated group when compared to the control group. These parameters were significantly reduced in the group treated with stem cell enhancer as compared to bisphenol ­A treated group. Decline in the concentration of lipid profile with increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL- C] levels in the stem cell treated group as compared to bisphenol-A group were observed. There was a significant elevation in prolactin, FSH and tumor marker levels concomitant with a significant reduction in LH levels in bisphenol-A treated group compared to the control group. These results were changed to values very close to control by using the stem cell enhancer

Conclusion: It could be concluded that bisphenol-A has dangerous effects on liver and kidney functions as well as on lipid profile, female hormones and tumor markers level. So, we recommended minimizing the utililizing of this compound and the use of some protective materials as stem cell enhancer to protect people from its hazardous effects

Studies on the use of Aloe vera extract as a contraceptive in female rats

Background: The study on the natural herbal contraception has become one of the main interests of modern contraceptive studies. Herbs have been used by women since the beginning of time in an attempt to control their fertility. The development of new fertility regulating drugs derived from medicinal plants is an attractive proposition, Aloe Vera is a durable plant belonging to Sousanian family

Aim of the work: This work was assessed to evaluate the probable contraceptive effect of the aqueous extract of Aloe vera plant and its effect on the some vital organs in the female albino rats

Materials and Methods: This study was performed on twenty female albino rats with an average 120-140g body weight. The animals were divided into two groups [5 /cage]; Group I [Control untreated group] and Group II [Aloe vera group that supplied orally with 7 mg/kg body wt/day of the plant extract for 30 +/- 2 days].Results A prolonged proestrus and estrus phases of the estrous cycle were observed in the Aloe vera group .The mean serum level of estrogen [estradiol] was significantly increased in the Aloe vera group as compared to the control group [P<0.01] while non significant difference was found for serum level of progesterone and the tumor markers, CA15-3 and CA-125.The results also showed a marked decline [p<0.01] in levels of the serum calcium, creatinine, urea, total proteins, albumin, globulin and ratio of TC/HDL accompanied with a marked elevation [p<0.01] in the serum phosphorus, total lipid, TC, TG, HDL and LDL levels in the Aloe vera group in comparison with those of control group. However, levels of uric acid, AST, ALT, GGT, VLDL and ratios of LDL/HDL [risk factors] and A/G were approximately as that of the control group

Conclusion: It could be concluded that Aloe vera can be used as a contraceptive drug that can increase the estrogen level due to its phytoestrogen components such as beta sitosterol and without deleterious effects on the other vital organ [liver and kidney], however it's use is to be restricted with women suffering from low ca++level as well as osteoporosis