ABSTRACT

Tenderness of meat is regarded as one of the leading customer perceptions when purchasing meat items. Reports in some parts of the country indicate that some food sellers have resorted to the use of paracetamol and potash to reduce cooking time while boiling meat. In this study the comparative analysis of hematological parameters of wistar rat fed with diet enriched with red meat tendered with acetaminophen and potash was carried out. Forty male Albino wistar rats were divided into eight (8) groups, kept were used. The group one (control) was fed with normal grower feed and tap water. Group two (uncontaminated) was fed with grower feed with beef without contamination. Diet was formulated with meat tendered with 3 g of paracetamol and mixed with grower feed in ratio 9:1 g, 8:2 g and 7:3 g , in Group 3, 4 and 5 respectively and 3 g of potash tendered meat was also mixed grower feed in ratio 9:1 g, 8:2 g and 7:3 in Group 6, 7 and 8 respectively. All the rats was fed daily for 28 days. At the end of the experimental period, the animals were sacrificed, and blood samples was collected. The following parameters measured were Total White Blood Cell (WBC), count, Haemoglobin (HGB), Red Blood Cell (RBC), hamatocit, (HCT), Mean Cell Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Hamoglobin Concentration (MCHC). Other included RDW, PWD, and MPV as well as lymphocyte % lymphocytes number and platelets (PLT) indices. The result observed from the study shows that Control Uncontaminated and treated with acetaminophen and potash bring about a significant (p<0.05) increase in body weight when compared with control. There was no significant (p<0.05) difference in WBC, GRA, MON and LTM of all groups in relative to Control. However, there was an increase of WBC in potash 10% and paracetamol 30%. The decrease of WBC of potash 10% and paracetamol 30%. Granulocyte count in paracatamol 30% of 11.3 may be due to and infection and a decrease in granulocyte count of paracetamol 10% of 1.6 and potash 10% of 1.4 indicate a weakening of the immune system. The level of platelet (thrombocytes) of potash 10% was significantly (p<0.05) increase when compared with the Control. It was observed that there was a relative increase in RBC, Hmatocrit, MCV of paracetamol 30% indicate iron deficiency (anemia) which could be coupled with physical weakness.