Effect of quality protein maize diet on liver integrity and serum aminotransferases of albino wistar rats

Abstract

The study was designed to evaluate the effect of quality protein maize (QPM) diet on the histology of the liver and on the activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in albino wistar rats. The AST level in rats fed QPM diet was 57.4 ± 8.92U/L which compared favourably with that in rats fed the reference casein diet (46.0 ± 8.48U/L) at p>0.05. There was also no significant difference (p>0.05) in the serum AST levels in rats fed the basal diet (61.2 ± 4.63U/L), common maize diet (60.2 ±8.59U/L) and the reference diet. Similarly, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the levels of serum ALT in rats fed the basal diet (33.5 ±6.50U/L), QPM diet (21.6 ±3.98U/L), common maize diet (27.4 ± 6.13U/L) and the reference case in diet (21.6 ± 2.11U/L). Histological examination of the livers of rats fed the experimental diets showed mild degeneration of the hepatic vessels and a small central vein in the group fed the basal (protein-free) diet while the livers of the rats fed the QPM diet showed a smaller central vein but generally gave the same picture as that of the group fed the reference casein diet. The results indicate that consumption of QPM diet by rats does not have adverse effect on the liver. Keywords: quality protein maize, liver integrity, serum aminotransferasesGlobal Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 12(2) 2006: 189-192