Full Length Research Paper

Hepatotoxic effects of low dose oral administration of monosodium glutamate in male albino rats

A. C. C. Egbuonu¹*, O. Obidoa¹, C. A. Ezeokonkwo¹, L. U. S. Ezeanyika¹ and P. M. Ejikeme²

¹Nutrition and Toxicological Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

²Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: tonycemalukegbuonu@yahoo.com.

Accepted 20 February, 2009

The present study is aimed at investigating the potentials of low concentration administration of monosodium glutamate in inducing hepatotoxic effects in male albino rats. Thus, monosodium glutamate at a dose of 5 mg/kg of body weight was administered to adult male albino rats by oral intubation. Treatment was daily for 28 days. The monosodium glutamate treatment significantly (p<0.05) decreased the serum alkaline phosphatase activity by 71.97% but increased (p<0.05) the serum enzyme activities of aspartate aminotransferase by 66.86% and alanine aminotransferase by 9.15%. The treatment also increased (p<0.05) the serum malondialdehyde concentration by 287.15% and the serum aspartate aminotransferase-to-alanine aminotransferase ratio by 56.59%. Thus, treating rats with monosodium glutamate at a low concentration (5 mg/kg of body weight) could be hepatotoxic without significant cholestasis or pathologies of the bone.

Key words: Monosodium glutamate, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, malondialdehyde, hepatotoxic effect.