The effects of ghee administration in comparison to sunflower seeds oil on liver tissue and some biochemical parameters in rats

Abstract

Ghee is well known clarified butter of animal origin (namely derived from sheep milk), it has been used for decades in Iraq for preparing deserts, but nowadays, its nutritional value has been reviewed and is an area of controversy because of its high content of saturated fatty acids; however, the sunflower seeds oil available in the market may not be of that good quality. Comparing the effect of ghee to the effect of sunflower seeds oil may help better understand this controversy, the purpose of this study was to compare the effects of using animal ghee and sunflower seed oil on the liver's histopathology and related to various biochemical alterations in rats. We used 36 animals divided into three groups to accomplish this goal. The first group, which received a typical conventional diet, was regarded as a control group. The second group was given a diet that included 5% animal ghee. And the final group had a diet that included 5% sunflower oil. Blood samples were taken at intervals of 0, 2, and 4 consecutive weeks. There are an increase in the weights of animals in the sunflower oil-fed group with an increase in cholesterol and liver function enzymes ALT and AST in the blood compared with the group treated with ghee, which showed no change in animal weights and low cholesterol with decreased liver function enzymes The histopathological changes of the rat's liver revealed mild to moderate lesions in the Ghee fed group representing by vacuolar degeneration of hepatocytes and focal infiltration of inflammatory cells after four weeks of treatment. In the Sunflower seeds oil-fed group, the liver revealed more severe lesions than the rat treated in the ghee group, as severe vacuolar degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes with fatty change, generalized congestion of blood vessels, infiltration of inflammatory cells in the portal area and hyperplasia of bile canaliculi. According to the study, animal ghee has advantages over sunflower seed oil regarding hepatic histological changes and concomitant biochemical changes in rats.