The effects of apricot on serum proteins and liver enzymes in rats

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different rates and feeding periods of sun-dried organic apricot (SDOA) supplementation on serum proteins and liver enzymes in rats. Numbers of 120 male and 120 female rats were randomly divided into five groups. The control group was fed with normal rat chow, and the others with 1%, 2.5%, 5% and 10% SDOA-supplemented diet, respectively. At the end of the 30th day of feeding periods, blood samples of 8 rats from each gender of every group were taken. Serum samples were used for measurements of albumin (ALB), total protein (TP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels. This procedure was repeated on the 60th and 120th days. Effects of rates and periods on parameters and interactions were investigated by two-way ANOVA. As the rates of SDOA in diet increased, decreases were observed in all parameters of males, and in ALP, AST and TP parameters of females. Considering periods, an effective role was observed on ALB, ALT and TP levels in genders. However, there were no significant interactions between rates and periods. The rate of 1% had beneficial effect on parameters in genders. However, the optimal period was not determined.