Protective Effects of Virgin Olive Oil on Liver function and Histopathological Alterations in Diet-induced Hyperlipidaemic Rats
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54361/LJMR.20.3.108Keywords:
Virgin olive oil, hyperlipidaemia, liver injury, ALT, AST, ALP, histopathology, ratsAbstract
Background: Hyperlipidaemia may predispose to liver injury through lipid deposition, oxidative stress, and inflammatory reactions. This study aimed to investigate the protective role of virgin olive oil in the biochemical and histological changes of the liver in diet-induced hyperlipidaemic male albino rats. Materials and Methods: Fifty adult male albino rats were divided into five groups (10 rats each): normal diet (ND), hyperlipidaemic diet (HLD), HLD plus low dose of virgin olive oil (HLD+LVOO), HLD plus high dose of virgin olive oil (HLD+HVOO) and HLD followed by ND (HLD+ND). Liver samples were assessed using a light microscope following haematoxylin and eosin staining. Liver function tests, namely ALT, AST and ALP serum activity, were measured. Results: ALT, AST and ALP were progressive increases in the HLD group, accompanied by significant architectural damages of liver. The administration of virgin olive oil resulted in decreased elevations of these enzymes and partial preservation of histopathological characteristics, with the strongest effects observed at the higher dose. A dietary recovery without virgin olive oil gave only some biochemical and histological restoration. Conclusion: Virgin olive oil has prevented liver injuries that accompany hyperlipidaemia in this rat model, with both biochemical and histopathological benefits being correlated with dose, although more study on the mechanism is needed.
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