Haematological indices and blood lipid profile of rats administered Trona; a natural food additive.

Abstract

Trona, a geological mineral is often used as a natural food additive in many parts of Africa. This work was done to evaluate trona for elemental content and ascertain its effect on body weight changes; lipid profile and haematological indices as part of safety assessment. Consequently twenty-four rats were divided into four groups of six rats each. The first group served as the control while the other groups were administered 10, 100, and 1000 mg trona per kg body weight for a period of 28 days. Elemental analysis revealed the presence of high concentrations of sodium and iron. Results revealed dose dependent increase in triacylglycerol levels; however cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and haematological indices were not significantly affected.

Key words: Trona; additive; sodium; triacylglycerol; haematological