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ABSTRACT
The study was carried out to show that high fat diet especially the ones containing high content of saturated fatty acids can cause hyperlipidemia which in turn can induce liver damage and also to investigate the effects of date palm aqueous extract on the high fat diet-induced liver damage in adult wistar rats. In the experiment,thirty (30) adult wistar rats weighing between 150 and 200g were used. The animals were divided into 6 groups (A, B, C, D, E and F) of five rats each. Group A served as control group which were given feed and water only. Group B was given margarine (3000mg/kg bw) only. Group C was given margarine and low dose date palm extract (200mg/kg bw). Group D was given margarine and moderate dose extract (400mg/kg bw). Group E was given margarine and High dose extract (800mg/kg bw) and finally Group F was given margarine and Atorvastatin (0.3mg/kg bw). All administration was done orally via gavage. The experiment was carried out for a period of 60 days, after which the animals were sacrificed and their livers were harvested and fixed in 10% formal saline and processed histologically using H&E stains for microscopy. The blood samples were also collected and put in plain sample bottles for Liver Function test. The activities of Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alkaline phosphatase were used as markers of hepatoxicity while total and direct bilirubin, albumin and total protein were markers for the secretory activity of the liver. The result showed that the effect of date palm in high dose increased the secretion of albumin significantly in the liver (p<0.05) which also occurred in the group treated with Atorvastatin,This shows that the ameliorative effect of date Palm is dosage dependent. The hepatoxicity markers showed no significant differences (p>0.05) through out the groups compared to the control group also there were no significant differences in final body weight compared to initial body weight, and liver weight compared to the control group (p>0.05). The Histological results also showed that datepalm aqueous extract has an appreciable ability to ameliorate high fat diet-induced liver damage, attributed to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antitumor properties.
