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Palm Oil Protects Liver Against Poisons -Scientists
Palm Oil Protects Liver Against Poisons -Scientists
28/11/2013 (Nigerian Tribune) - To many people, all there is to palm oil is preparation of meals, shortenings, soap and margarine manufacture. In rural communities, palm oil comes handy in treating cough, boils and as an antidote to poisons. But the medicinal uses of palm oil are far more. Scientists in a new study indicated its usefulness in detoxifying the body of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium that hurt the body.
In a comparative analysis on the effect of palm oil in animals, the scientists found that its inclusion in diet ensures a reduction in cadmium and lead accumulation in the liver of wistar rats. It is effectiveness in protecting the liver from cadmium was higher than that against lead in a time dependant manner.
The liver is not necessarily the only organ in terms of accumulation of heavy metals after chronic dosing. Other organs such as the kidneys, bone and red blood cells accumulate lead and cadmium much more than the liver.
Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) are major environmental pollutants, toxic at even low concentrations and are able to generate reactive radicals that cause damages to cells of the body, including the destruction of the liver both in humans and animals.
Free radicals contribute to chronic diseases from cancer to heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease to vision loss. Although free radicals come in many shapes, sizes, and chemical configurations, it is capable of damaging cells and genetic material.
The body generates free radicals as the inevitable by-products of turning food into energy. Others are in the food one eat and the air one breathes. Some are generated by sunlight’s action on the skin and eyes.
There are hundreds, probably thousands, of different substances that can act as antioxidants. The most familiar ones are vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene (precursors of vitamin A) and other related carotenoids, along with the minerals selenium and manganese. Others include chemical substances such as flavonoids, phenols, polyphenols, phytoestrogens, and many more.
Red palm oil, the staple oil in the Africa and Asia continents, naturally contains unique phytonutrients that are proven to be beneficial to human health. The oil palms (Elaeis guineensis), from which red palm oil is derived contains the phytonutrients tocotrienols (vitamin E), mixed carotenoids, phytosterols, squalene and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Of these, vitamin E and carotenoids in particular, are proven to be protective of the heart, brain and smooth skin.
Research has shown that consumption of red palm oil significantly enhanced vitamin A levels in humans, and it is beneficial in preventing vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency may lead to blindness, skin disease and weakened immune function.
In this experiment that lasted six weeks, 12 per cent w/w of palm oil in rat chow concentrate was fed to rats exposed to Cadmium and Lead in drinking water at different feeding regimens. The first group which had normal rat chow neither cadmium or lead in their drinking water served as control for the experiment.
In the second group, the palm oil was administered either at the same time with the metals. In the third group, the palm oil was given after treatment while the fourth group were given palm oil before being exposed to cadmium or lead. The fifth group received normal food and tap water, while the sixth group was fed with the palm oil rat chow concentrate and water alone.
Tests were then carried out to ascertain the amount of the heavy metal that accumulated in the livers of the experimental rats in this study published in the Pharmacognosy Research.
This study was carried out by Chukwuemeka R. Nwokocha; Magdalene I. Nwokocha and Daniel U. Owu from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica in collaboration with Joshua Obi; Bukola Olatunde, Chioma Ebe, Ozioma Nwangwu from the Madonna University, Elele Rivers State as well as Moses O Iwuala from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State.
The 2012 study was entitled “Comparative analysis on the effect of palm oil (Elaeis guineensis) in reducing cadmium and lead accumulation in liver of Wistar rats”.
The researchers observed an initial dramatic increase in accumulated Lead which then decreased, even though animals were fed / exposed constantly to the metals, but the accumulation increased throughout the period of study for Cadmium. But treatment with palm oil, however, reduced the accumulation patterns for both metals.
Moreover, palm oil caused a significantly higher protection to Lead when compared with its protection to Cadmium at week two when it was administered concurrently with the heavy metal, but at weeks four and six, no significant protection to lead accumulation was observed with palm oil.
In addition, the protective ability of palm oil to Cadmium was significantly highest at week two when compared to the protection at week four and six. On the whole palm oil administration offered a significant greater protection to Cadmium when compared with Lead in this treatment protocol.
Also, the researchers found that when palm oil was first given to the experimental animals before exposure to either of Cadmium or Lead, the protection was significantly higher to Lead (81.3 per cent) accumulation compared to Cadmium (66.9 per cent) at two weeks, but this was significantly decreased by the fourth week.
By the sixth week, the protection to Cadmium liver burden (59.3 per cent) was now significantly higher when compared to Lead liver burden. Palm oil offered no protection to Lead beyond the second week of administration.
The researchers however stated the need for further studies to investigate the effect of palm oil on heavy metal accumulation in other organs and its protective abilities.
Previous studies by this group have also shown bitter kola and ginger as protective of the liver against heavy metal contaminants. Reporting in a 2011 edition Journal of Ethnopharmacolgy, they said bitter kola was a protective ability against mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) accumulation in the liver. The greatest protection was from cadmium followed by mercury and least protection against Lead toxicity in rats.
Similarly, in a comparative study on the protective effect of the liver by ginger in the 2012 Pharmacognosy research, they said ginger affected the bioavailability, elimination and uptake of these metals in a time-dependent way with highest beneficial reducing effect to Cadmium, followed by mercury and least protection to lead in the liver.
In a comparative analysis on the effect of palm oil in animals, the scientists found that its inclusion in diet ensures a reduction in cadmium and lead accumulation in the liver of wistar rats. It is effectiveness in protecting the liver from cadmium was higher than that against lead in a time dependant manner.
The liver is not necessarily the only organ in terms of accumulation of heavy metals after chronic dosing. Other organs such as the kidneys, bone and red blood cells accumulate lead and cadmium much more than the liver.
Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) are major environmental pollutants, toxic at even low concentrations and are able to generate reactive radicals that cause damages to cells of the body, including the destruction of the liver both in humans and animals.
Free radicals contribute to chronic diseases from cancer to heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease to vision loss. Although free radicals come in many shapes, sizes, and chemical configurations, it is capable of damaging cells and genetic material.
The body generates free radicals as the inevitable by-products of turning food into energy. Others are in the food one eat and the air one breathes. Some are generated by sunlight’s action on the skin and eyes.
There are hundreds, probably thousands, of different substances that can act as antioxidants. The most familiar ones are vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene (precursors of vitamin A) and other related carotenoids, along with the minerals selenium and manganese. Others include chemical substances such as flavonoids, phenols, polyphenols, phytoestrogens, and many more.
Red palm oil, the staple oil in the Africa and Asia continents, naturally contains unique phytonutrients that are proven to be beneficial to human health. The oil palms (Elaeis guineensis), from which red palm oil is derived contains the phytonutrients tocotrienols (vitamin E), mixed carotenoids, phytosterols, squalene and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Of these, vitamin E and carotenoids in particular, are proven to be protective of the heart, brain and smooth skin.
Research has shown that consumption of red palm oil significantly enhanced vitamin A levels in humans, and it is beneficial in preventing vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency may lead to blindness, skin disease and weakened immune function.
In this experiment that lasted six weeks, 12 per cent w/w of palm oil in rat chow concentrate was fed to rats exposed to Cadmium and Lead in drinking water at different feeding regimens. The first group which had normal rat chow neither cadmium or lead in their drinking water served as control for the experiment.
In the second group, the palm oil was administered either at the same time with the metals. In the third group, the palm oil was given after treatment while the fourth group were given palm oil before being exposed to cadmium or lead. The fifth group received normal food and tap water, while the sixth group was fed with the palm oil rat chow concentrate and water alone.
Tests were then carried out to ascertain the amount of the heavy metal that accumulated in the livers of the experimental rats in this study published in the Pharmacognosy Research.
This study was carried out by Chukwuemeka R. Nwokocha; Magdalene I. Nwokocha and Daniel U. Owu from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica in collaboration with Joshua Obi; Bukola Olatunde, Chioma Ebe, Ozioma Nwangwu from the Madonna University, Elele Rivers State as well as Moses O Iwuala from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State.
The 2012 study was entitled “Comparative analysis on the effect of palm oil (Elaeis guineensis) in reducing cadmium and lead accumulation in liver of Wistar rats”.
The researchers observed an initial dramatic increase in accumulated Lead which then decreased, even though animals were fed / exposed constantly to the metals, but the accumulation increased throughout the period of study for Cadmium. But treatment with palm oil, however, reduced the accumulation patterns for both metals.
Moreover, palm oil caused a significantly higher protection to Lead when compared with its protection to Cadmium at week two when it was administered concurrently with the heavy metal, but at weeks four and six, no significant protection to lead accumulation was observed with palm oil.
In addition, the protective ability of palm oil to Cadmium was significantly highest at week two when compared to the protection at week four and six. On the whole palm oil administration offered a significant greater protection to Cadmium when compared with Lead in this treatment protocol.
Also, the researchers found that when palm oil was first given to the experimental animals before exposure to either of Cadmium or Lead, the protection was significantly higher to Lead (81.3 per cent) accumulation compared to Cadmium (66.9 per cent) at two weeks, but this was significantly decreased by the fourth week.
By the sixth week, the protection to Cadmium liver burden (59.3 per cent) was now significantly higher when compared to Lead liver burden. Palm oil offered no protection to Lead beyond the second week of administration.
The researchers however stated the need for further studies to investigate the effect of palm oil on heavy metal accumulation in other organs and its protective abilities.
Previous studies by this group have also shown bitter kola and ginger as protective of the liver against heavy metal contaminants. Reporting in a 2011 edition Journal of Ethnopharmacolgy, they said bitter kola was a protective ability against mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) accumulation in the liver. The greatest protection was from cadmium followed by mercury and least protection against Lead toxicity in rats.
Similarly, in a comparative study on the protective effect of the liver by ginger in the 2012 Pharmacognosy research, they said ginger affected the bioavailability, elimination and uptake of these metals in a time-dependent way with highest beneficial reducing effect to Cadmium, followed by mercury and least protection to lead in the liver.