Biochemical Studies On The Effect Of Sodium Nitrite And/Or Glutathione Treatment On Male Rats

Abstract

Introduction: Using food preservatives as sodium nitrite are increased in industrial food productions. Teratogenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects have been related to using of some food preservatives. Purpose: To study the effect of sodium nitrite (food additives) and treated with glutathione (nature antitoxic) on rats. Material And Methods: Certain parameters were measured as percentage of body weight change, body temperature, heart rates, Red & white blood cells count (RBCs & WBCs), hemoglobin (Hb) level, hematocrite (Hct) value, serum total lipids, serum cholesterol, serum total protein, serum albumin, serum glucose, serum alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase (ALT & AST) activity and serum total cholinesterase. The organs, body weight were detected. Organs were prepared for biochemical analysis. Results: Body weight, respiration rate, hepatosomatic index, RBCs & WBCs count, Hb, Hct, serum total lipids, protein, albumin, A/G ratio, liver and muscle total lipids and cholesterol were significantly reduced while serum cholesterol, kidney total lipids and cholesterol, serum ALT & AST was significantly increased. Supplementation of sodium nitrite to rats had no effect on serum glucose level or cholinesterase activity Conclusion: Due to the hazardous effect of food additives as sodium nitrite, it is recommended that the use of sodium nitrite as food additives must be limited and gluathione has the ability to prevent its toxic effect. Key Words: Glutathione, Rats, Sodium nitrite Introduction Food additives are substances intentionally added to food. They may be natural or synthetic (Harris, 1986). The principal classes of food additives are coloring agents, preservatives, flavors, emulsifiers and stabilizers (Lindsay, 1985). One of the principal preservatives is the nitrite, which used in the form of salts or free acids (HMSO1, 1987). The use of sodium nitrite as a preservative is common in cooked meat and sausages. Because of the use of more than one type of such food, the percentage of nitrite content of the daily food consumption may be higher than the admissible level (Bilczuk et al., 1991). Apparently very little nitrites are formed by