Investigation of Histopathological and Biochemical Changes in Rats Feeding Roasted and Raw Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus L.) Seed Extract

INTRODUCTION: Today, sunflower seeds, which are in first place in the consumption of nuts, have many benefits. However, sunflower seeds are consumed mainly by roasting. In this study, the effect of roasted and raw sunflower seeds on the liver of rats fed with experimentally roasted and raw sunflower seeds was investigated histopathologically and biochemically.
METHODS: For this purpose, a total of 24 rats were with eight rats in each group; the control, roasted sunflower seed (ROSS), and raw sunflower seed (RASS) groups. At the end of the experiment, blood and tissue samples were taken from the rats for histopathological and biochemical examinations.
RESULTS: While degenerative-necrotic changes were detected in the livers of rats fed with roasted sunflower seeds, no significant morphological changes were detected in the raw sunflower and control groups. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the groups in the biochemical parameters AST, ALT, CAT, GSH, BcL-2 and SOD. However, TAS levels in the ROSS group were significantly lower than in the other groups, while LDH, Bax and caspase-3 levels were high.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Data showed that ROSS decreased antioxidant status in liver tissue and increased LDH levels compared to RASS and could damage liver tissue.