Effects of Feeding Some Herbs on Hyperuricemic Rats

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Home Economic Dept., Fac. of Specific Education, Ain-shams Univer

Abstract

Gout is an inflammatory joint disorder characterized by hyperuricaemia and precipitation of monosodium urate crystals in the joints. This study aimed to discover the beneficial effects of feeding cinnamon or /and ginger, as a powder form, on the consequence symptoms of gout on induced hyperuricemic rats. Forty nine male albino rats weighing 192 ±23g were divided into 7 equal groups; negative control group fed on standard diet only, while the other 6 experimental groups were injected orally with ethanol (1.8g per kilogram of body weight) every 24 hour for eight days to induce hyperuricemia,
after confirmation they fed on standard diet only (positive control) or with adding 1% & 2% ginger, 1% & 2% cinnamon and mixture of 1% ginger + 1% cinnamon of total diet weight for continued four weeks after adaptation period.
Serum uric acid, urea and creatinine, serum liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and ALP) activities, total protein, serum albumin and globulin levels were determined. Results revealed that supplementations with ginger, cinnamon or their mixture for
hyperuricemic rats diets; declined the feed efficiency ratios, while increased relative weight of liver and kidneys significantly (p<0.05) ameliorated proportionally with the level of adding, also increments of uric acid, urea and creatinine levels were decreased significantly, furthermore decreased the raised serum levels of ALT, AST & ALP enzymes’ activities and ameliorated significantly the documented decrements in the levels of serum total proteins and albumin comparing with positive control group. Histopathological kidneys’ investigation revealed that higher supplementations with 2% ginger, cinnamon or their mixture groups modulate all undesirable changes recorded in kidneys of positive control group. These outcomes could mention that using ginger and cinnamon may improve kidney functions, liver enzymes and protein fractions, especially the mixture of them which was the most beneficial effects recorded; it could be used as hypouricemic agent and adjuvant treatment for gout disease.

Keywords