Effects of Vegetable Oil Reused for Frying on the Liver of Albino Rats

The reuse of vegetable oils for food preparation has become a very common practice in both food outlets and homes. Several changes in flavor and taste are observed in the food prepared with reused vegetable oils. This research investigated the effects of vegetable oil used for frying akara balls on lipid profile and liver enzymes of albino rats. Twenty-one adult male albino rats (8-12 weeks old) were used for this research. The rats were divided into seven (7) groups, (3 rats per group). They were allowed to acclimatize for a period of one week. Group 1 served as the control group and was fed with feed mixed with unheated vegetable oil. Groups 2-7 were fed with feed mixed with 2mls of the oil used for frying for a period of two weeks. After the treatment period, they were sacrificed and their blood collected for laboratory analysis. Lipid profile and liver enzymes tests were performed on the collected samples. The results revealed high level of CHOL and LDL, and low levels of HDL, TRIG and VLDL in all the test groups over the control. The levels increased/decreased with frying time. The liver enzymes (ALT, ALP and AST) levels in the test groups were found to be high when compared to the control group. The increased level of enzymes, suggests hepatic injury in the animals fed with reused oil. This suggests that consumption of vegetable oil that has been repeatedly used for frying has harmful effect in the body