IMPACTS OF THE FOOD ADDITIVE BENZOIC ACID ON LIVER FUNCTION OF WISTAR RATS.

This study was aimed to assess liver function of Wistar rats affected by oral ingestion of different doses of the food additive benzoic acid using rats' serum ALT as an indicator. 48 male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups (12 rats for each). One group served as control, and the remainder of the 3 groups received different doses of benzoic acid. Animals were put in quarantine for one week in Meck Nimir Research Center, Khartoum, Sudan. Animals were freely accessed to standard diet and tab water. Doses were once daily, orally administered for 28 days. A significant (p ? 0.05) gradual increase (according to increased treatment doses) in serum alanine amino transferase was observed in treated animals, compared with control. Liver sectioning was made to prepare slides. There were different observed signs of liver histopathological changes, in all treated animals, compared to control. These changes included: atrophy, hyperemia, vacuolation of cytoplasm, large vacuole (completely empty spaces) inside the cells and also there is the coagulative diffuse necrosis, inflammatory cells focal around some blood vessels, and haemosiderosis. Animals showed no non-significant weight loss or increase. It is concluded that oral ingestion of benzoic acid results in liver dysfunction confirmed by increased serum ALT concentrations So it is preferred to try to decrease ingestion of foods and beverages in which benzoic acid is a constituent. This study was focused on evaluating adverse liver changes, influenced by oral ingestion of benzoic acid as food additive.