Lipid profile and some hormonal disorders in serum of high-fat diet fed rats

Chronic consumption of high-fat diet [HFD] induces obesity. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the impact of high-fat diet-induced obesity on lipid profile and levels of certain hormones in male albino rats. A total of forty two 12-week old male albino rats were divided into three groups: control group fed a normal diet, obese group I fed 25% HFD and obese group II fed 50% HFD. Each group was divided into two subgroups [seven rats for each] feeding on the corresponding diet for four and eight weeks. Serum total cholesterol [TC], triglycerides [TG], high density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-Chol], low density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-Chol], free Triiodothyronine [FT[3]], free Thyroxine [FT[4]], Insulin, Leptin and Adiponectin were assessed at the end of 4[th] and 8[th] weeks. Also LDL/HDL-cholesterol ratios of control and obese groups were calculated at the same time intervals. The obtained results indicated significant increase in all parameters of serum lipid profiles in addition to elevation of the LDL/HDL-cholesterol ratios of obese rats compared to those of the controls. In response to HFD, marked increase was recorded in the levels of insulin and leptin while values of FT[3] and adiponectin were reduced significantly. On the other hand, HFD did not change the levels of FT[4]. Most of the recorded changes were more obvious by increasing either the percentage of fats or the feeding period. In conclusion, HFD induces some hormonal disorders accompanied by disturbance of the lipid profile

Effects of sublethal doses of selected botanical molluscicides on oxygen consumption of the brown garden snail, Eobania vermiculata

Laboratory bioassays were carried out for evaluating the efficacy of certain plant materials including Nicotine, Thymol, Menthol, Caffeine and Camphor as molluscicides against the brown garden snail, Eobania vermiculata using the topical application method. The obtained results proved that Nicotine and Thymol were the most promising from the molluscicidal point of view with LD [50]204.02 and 551.20 micro g/snail for the two materials, respectively. The effects of sublethal doses [LD[25] and LD[50]] of the most potent materials, Thymol and Nicotine, on the oxygen consumption of E. vermiculata snails after 1, 7 and 15 days post treatment were evaluated. Results indicated that only snails treated with LD [50] Thymol showed significant decrease in their oxygen uptake; while all the other treatments stimulated significant increase in the oxygen consumption along the three periods of estimation. This stimulation was most pronounced with the low sublethal doses of the both examined botanical molluscicides. The succession of time post exposure did not enable the treated snails to eliminate the adverse effects of the applied materials. Depending on the results of the current investigation, we can conclude that the both examined botanical materials, Thymol and Nicotine, are effective in killing the agricultural pest E. vermiculata but further studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of these materials as safe and economic molluscicides in the field