RESUMO
Dietary nitrate has been implicated in the formation of methemoglobin and carcinogenic nitrosamines in humans. The present study conducted to investigate the effects of apple peels extracts on lowering the deleterious effect of nitrate and nitrite. Various nutritional, immunological and biochemical parameters were estimated. Apple peels [ethanol or methanol] 1% extracts was added to the high dose of nitrate or nitrite in rats diet. KNO3 used as nitrate compound at 0.2% and NaNO2 used as nitrite compound at 0.05% for 8 weeks. The results indicated that the presence of either nitrate or nitrite in rat diet caused a significant decrease in food intake, body weight gain [BWG], food and protein efficiency ratio [FER, PER] when compared with control group. It could be observed that the values of immunoglobulins [lgG and 1gM], hemoglobin [Hb] and hematocrit [HCT] were significantly decreased in rats fed on basal diet with nitrate or nitrite without added apple peels extract p