Toxicity of monosodium glutamate on liver and body weight with the protective effect of tannic acid in adult male rats

Abstract

One of the food additives that are used extensively in the food industry is monosodium glutamate which has a flavor enhancer that is considered a double-edged sword on human health. Tannic acid (TA) is a natural antioxidant that works against many toxic substances. The current study aimed to evaluate the toxicity of MSG on rat liver with a possible protective role of TA. Forty adult male albino rats were used. They were divided into 4 equal groups, 10 rats each. Group I was the control group, Group II received TA (100 mg/kg) by oral gavage, Group III received MSG (2 g/kg) by oral gavage and Group IV received (TA and MSG) by oral gavage for 4weeks. At the end of the study, biochemical analysis was done and revealed that Group III showed a significant increase in the body weight and significant elevation in the serum levels of ALT and AST enzymes compared to group I with p > 0.001.While there was none -significant difference in relative liver weight with p> 0.05. Histopathological examination revealed that group III showed a severe complete loss in hepatic architecture such as congestion and dilatation in the blood vessels with different cellular changes such as necrosis and apoptosis as compared to group I. All these deleterious effects of MSG were greatly ameliorated by TA administration in group IV as compared to group III.