Histological changes of selected rat tissues following the ingestion of thermally oxidized groundnut oil

The effect of ingestion of dietary oxidized groundnut oil on the histology of wistar rat brain (cerebral cortex), liver, and kidney were examined. Female weanling rats (Rattus norvegicus) were maintained for 12 weeks on intermittently thermoxidzed groundnut oil at 15% dietary level as part of a balanced diet. Fresh (unheated) groundnut oil served as the control. Histological examination of the selected tissues (cerebral cortex, liver, and kidney) showed mild to severe distortion of the normal architecture in animals fed with replenished and not-replenished thermoxidized groundnut oil respectively. Distortion of the layered appearance of the cerebral cortex was observed in addition to the prominence of the pyramidal cells. The liver showed mild to severe distortion of the normal architecture in animals fed with thermoxidized groundnut oil, as well as prominence and widening of the liver sinusoids. The kidney showed alterations in tubules and disintegration of the glomeruli. The results indicate that structural abnormalities had occurred in the animals fed oxidized groundnut oil.