Impacts of dietary lipids derived from animal or vegetable sources on healthy rats

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study sought to assess the health impact of feeding adult healthy rats with either 7% (w/w) animal-derived fat (subcutaneous rump fat or peri-kidney fat) from domestic buffalo or vegetable oil (corn oil or olive oil) for 8 weeks on bioactivity; lipid profile; hepatic and cardiac histological changes. Twenty-four male albino rats were randomly categorized into four dietary groups (six rats/group): 1) diet contains 7% (w/w) corn oil; 2) diet contains 7% (w/w) olive oil; 3) diet contains 7% (w/w) subcutaneous rump fats and 4) diet contains 7% (w/w) Peri-kidney fats. Animal fats intake significantly increased serum total lipids (TL), triacylglycerol (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), cardiac troponin-I (CTn-I) concentration as well as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities compared to vegetable oils intake. In histopathological research, liver and heart sections excised from rats consumed animal-derived fats showed several signs of extensive damage, including inflammation as well as fibrosis. Compared to animal-derived fats, vegetable oils consumption markedly increased serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) concentration and exhibited a potential attenuation effect on liver and heart enzymes activities and a potential role in the reduction of TG in the bloodstream of rats as well as revealed normal liver and heart histopathological architectures. In conclusion, this study suggests that, replacing animal fats, especially peri-kidney fat with vegetable oils, particularly olive oil in diets, liver and heart can be protected.