Certain biochemical changes from fresh garlic-containing diet ingestion in rats

ABSTRACT

The influence of an intake of fresh minced garlic on blood levels of lipids, lipoproteins, glucose, total proteins, and creatinine in adult male Wistar rats was investigated. In addition, the efficacy of garlic feeding on the glutathione-dependent detoxification system was also evaluated. The data showed that the feeding of 8% garlic- containing diet resulted in a significant increase in body and heart weights, whereas the feeding of 12% garlic-containing diet significantly increased the kidney weights. The average food intake was significantly higher in rats fed with the garlic diets. The 8% garlic feeding significantly lowered the rat plasma levels of total- and LDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerol and increased the HDL- cholesterol level compared to the control group. The 12% garlic- containing diet significantly reduced the plasma levels of total, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol as well as triacylglycerol compared with the control group, but the garlic diet did not alter the plasma level of neither total protein nor glucose. However, the 12% garlic-containing diet significantly increased the plasma level of creatinine; whereas, the 8% garlic-containing diet had no significant effect. The garlic diet was also able to significantly increase the activity of GST and total GSH-Px, while it significantly decreased the level of MDA. On the other h and, the activity of SOD was not significantly altered by 8% garlic feeding, while the 12% garlic containing diet significantly increased the activity