ABSTRACT

This study was aimed at comparatively evaluating the hepatotoxicity, haematological and antioxidant effects of differently prepared (parboiled and un-parboiled) beans treated with sniper (i.e. a dichlorvos insecticide) and fed to Wistar albino rats. Thirty (30) male Wistar albino rats of known body weight were assigned into six (6) groups of 5 rats each. The beans were treated with 0.7 ml (high dose) and 0.3 ml (low dose) of dichlorvos per one kg of beans. Group 1 and group 2 of un-parboiled beans compounded with standard feed stock, group 3 and group 4 were fed with high dose and low dose of parboiled beans compounded with feed stock, group 5 received beans only while group 6 received standard feed for a period of 30 days. The rats were euthanized, and blood samples were collected after the termination of the study. The increases in the activities of liver enzymes (ALT, AST and ALP) in the rats’ sera of different groups showed a hepatocellular damage as a result of dichlorvos toxicity which also significantly (P<0.05) decreased the activities of the antioxidant enzymes (GSH, GPx, SOD, CAT) in the rats of groups fed with un-parboiled beans unlike the groups fed with parboiled beans which were non-significantly decreased. There was significant increase in the malondialdehyde concentration of the rats of the groups fed with un-parboiled beans when compared to group 6 rats. Dose dependent variations were seen in the packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell (WBC), haemoglobin (Hb) and platelet. However, a reduced concentration of red blood cell (RBC) count for the un-parboiled groups and an increase in the parboiled group were seen, although both were not significant (P>0.05). Consumption of un-parboiled beans exposes consumers to the risk of dichlorvos contamination and its harmful effects as seen in this study, hence there is need for the parboiling of beans which helps to reduce the dichlorvos residues deposited on beans.