The role of nutrition in maintaining the effectiveness of the liver (enzymes and some blood variables) against heavy metals efficacy of leek powder in maintaining liver functions against cadmium negative effects

Abstract

The issue of heavy metals pollution, particularly cadmium, holds paramount importance in today's context due to its severe negative impact on human health. In this study, the efficacy of leek plant leaf powder as a natural remedy to mitigate the adverse effects of cadmium on specific blood parameters and internal organs in experimental rats was investigated. The experimental groups consisted of a negative control (T1: 0.4 μg/L), a positive control (T2: 25.7 μg/L, cadmium-injected), and therapeutic interventions (T3: 5.3 μg/L, T4: 5.6 μg/L, cadmium-injected rats fed diets supplemented with 2% and 3% leek powder, respectively). Results demonstrated that cadmium (T2) significantly impacted blood cadmium levels (25.7 μg/L) compared to control (T1: 0.4 μg/L) and had adverse effects on internal organs (kidneys 5.4 grams, testes 5.1 grams, liver 19.1 grams, heart 0.8 grams, and spleen 2.2 grams) compared to control (T1: Kidneys 2.8 g, testicles 7.5 g, liver 10 g, heart 1.2 g, and spleen 0.7 g). Cadmium also led to elevated enzyme levels in the blood compared to control (T1) (AST 22.5 U/l, ALT 29.1 U/l, Alkaline Phosphatase 18.3 IU/L), with levels of AST 60.1 U/l, ALT 117.0 U/l, and Alkaline Phosphatase 49.0 IU/L in the positive control (T2). The therapeutic approach with leek (T3) demonstrated superior results in mitigating cadmium's detrimental effects, followed by T4, as evidenced by internal organ weights, blood cadmium levels, and liver enzymes. The study concludes that leek exhibits robust therapeutic potential in countering cadmium's effects, particularly at a 2% concentration. This research marks a pioneering effort in exploring leek's therapeutic role in addressing cadmium toxicity.