Biochemical and histological effects of five weeks ingestion of Zamzam water on the liver and kidneys of Wistar rats
Zamzam water is a natural alkaline water which has become alkaline as a result of the natural environment. It comes from what is considered as one of the oldest springs in the world. The water contains high concentrations of alkaline minerals as well as trace and heavy metals. The aim of the current...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319016420302826 |
| _version_ | 1818569749876965376 |
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| author | Huda A. Al Doghaither Razan M. Al-Sohaibani Ulfat M. Omar Hassan A. Alharbi |
| author_facet | Huda A. Al Doghaither Razan M. Al-Sohaibani Ulfat M. Omar Hassan A. Alharbi |
| author_sort | Huda A. Al Doghaither |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Zamzam water is a natural alkaline water which has become alkaline as a result of the natural environment. It comes from what is considered as one of the oldest springs in the world. The water contains high concentrations of alkaline minerals as well as trace and heavy metals. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the effects of five weeks ingestion of Zamzam water on the liver and kidney functions of rats. Adult female Wistar rats weighing 150–200 g were divided into two groups, with 15 rats in each. The control group was supplied daily by bottled water and the Zamzam water group was supplied daily by 500 ml of Zamzam water for five weeks. The rats were weighed weekly and, at the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected from all rats for the biochemical determination of serum levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urea, creatinine, albumin, and uric acid, using calorimetric methods. Liver and kidney tissues were fixed in 10% neutral buffered-formalin solution and further embedded in wax blocks for routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and were examined for histopathological changes using a light microscope. The results of the current study showed that there was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the weight of the Zamzam group when compared to the control group after five weeks of ingestion. Liver and kidney function tests did not show any significant difference when compared with the controls (P > 0.05). In addition, histological examination of the liver and kidney tissues did not show any toxicological changes. In conclusion, the results showed that the ingestion of Zamzam water did not alter serum levels of kidney function tests and liver enzymes; and did not result in a noticeable change in the liver and kidney histology. Thus, the high concentrations of elements in Zamzam water do not induce hepatotoxicity or nephrotoxicity and the water is considered safe for long-term consumption. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T06:51:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a621ccbe7b324631a29612382b15b9ff |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1319-0164 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T06:51:49Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-a621ccbe7b324631a29612382b15b9ff2022-12-21T23:12:53ZengElsevierSaudi Pharmaceutical Journal1319-01642021-01-012919195Biochemical and histological effects of five weeks ingestion of Zamzam water on the liver and kidneys of Wistar ratsHuda A. Al Doghaither0Razan M. Al-Sohaibani1Ulfat M. Omar2Hassan A. Alharbi3Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80200, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Corresponding author.Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80200, Jeddah 21589, Saudi ArabiaBiochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80200, Jeddah 21589, Saudi ArabiaPoison Control and Medical Forensic Toxicology Center, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaZamzam water is a natural alkaline water which has become alkaline as a result of the natural environment. It comes from what is considered as one of the oldest springs in the world. The water contains high concentrations of alkaline minerals as well as trace and heavy metals. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the effects of five weeks ingestion of Zamzam water on the liver and kidney functions of rats. Adult female Wistar rats weighing 150–200 g were divided into two groups, with 15 rats in each. The control group was supplied daily by bottled water and the Zamzam water group was supplied daily by 500 ml of Zamzam water for five weeks. The rats were weighed weekly and, at the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected from all rats for the biochemical determination of serum levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urea, creatinine, albumin, and uric acid, using calorimetric methods. Liver and kidney tissues were fixed in 10% neutral buffered-formalin solution and further embedded in wax blocks for routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and were examined for histopathological changes using a light microscope. The results of the current study showed that there was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the weight of the Zamzam group when compared to the control group after five weeks of ingestion. Liver and kidney function tests did not show any significant difference when compared with the controls (P > 0.05). In addition, histological examination of the liver and kidney tissues did not show any toxicological changes. In conclusion, the results showed that the ingestion of Zamzam water did not alter serum levels of kidney function tests and liver enzymes; and did not result in a noticeable change in the liver and kidney histology. Thus, the high concentrations of elements in Zamzam water do not induce hepatotoxicity or nephrotoxicity and the water is considered safe for long-term consumption.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319016420302826Zamzam waterLiver enzymesLiver and kidney tissuesKidney functionHepatotoxicityNephrotoxicity |
| spellingShingle | Huda A. Al Doghaither Razan M. Al-Sohaibani Ulfat M. Omar Hassan A. Alharbi Biochemical and histological effects of five weeks ingestion of Zamzam water on the liver and kidneys of Wistar rats Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal Zamzam water Liver enzymes Liver and kidney tissues Kidney function Hepatotoxicity Nephrotoxicity |
| title | Biochemical and histological effects of five weeks ingestion of Zamzam water on the liver and kidneys of Wistar rats |
| title_full | Biochemical and histological effects of five weeks ingestion of Zamzam water on the liver and kidneys of Wistar rats |
| title_fullStr | Biochemical and histological effects of five weeks ingestion of Zamzam water on the liver and kidneys of Wistar rats |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biochemical and histological effects of five weeks ingestion of Zamzam water on the liver and kidneys of Wistar rats |
| title_short | Biochemical and histological effects of five weeks ingestion of Zamzam water on the liver and kidneys of Wistar rats |
| title_sort | biochemical and histological effects of five weeks ingestion of zamzam water on the liver and kidneys of wistar rats |
| topic | Zamzam water Liver enzymes Liver and kidney tissues Kidney function Hepatotoxicity Nephrotoxicity |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319016420302826 |
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