Vol. 12, Special Issue 10 (2023)

Author(s):
C Yugandhar, RV Ramanamurty, K Sujatha, N Vinod Kumar, TNVKV Prasad and U Vinod

Abstract:
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a widely used flavor enhancer and food additive in meat, fish, milk, and cheese or vegetable origins. A total of 48 healthy adult male albino Wistar rats of 6-7 weeks of age were used for the study. These rats were divided randomly into four groups having 12 animals in each group. Rats were clinically monitored throughout the experimental period of 6 weeks. Six rats from each group were randomly sacrificed at every three weeks interval after starting the experiment i.e., 3^rd and 6^th week. It was observed that MSG @ 5 g/ kg b.wt / day orally for 6 weeks was toxic to rats and caused induced adverse effects of histopathological changes in various visceral organs by increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation and decreased levels of antioxidants. Histopathologically the liver of Group II showed a microvesicular fatty change of hepatocytes, karyomegaly and binucleated hepatocytes, and bile ductular hyperplasia was observed. Whereas kidney sections showed degenerated and desquamated renal tubular epithelium, congested, atrophied and cystic glomeruli, and pockets of hemorrhages in intertubular space. Testes revealed interstitial edema with MNCs infiltration, degenerative and desquamative changes of seminiferous tubules, and necrosis of Leydig cells. Brain sections showed neuronal degeneration and sub meningial haemorrhages and gliosis. The lung showed thickened interstitial space and thickened blood vessels, severe lymphoid hyperplasia in the peribronchial area. The treatment of ZnO NPs and rats concurrently with the MSG was shown to have ameliorating effect on different pathological manifestations. The ameliorating effect of ZnO NPs was found to be relatively better than that of most of the parameters.