The effect of a preservative on some physiological parameters in a sample of male albino rats

Background: Sodium benzoate (SB), with antibacterial and antifungal characteristics, is a commonly employed preservative in both food and pharmaceuticals. According to some studies, SB might be hazardous. Objective: This study was done to investigate the adverse effects of oral administration of sodium benzoate on some physiological parameters Materials and Methods: In this investigation, fifteen male rats were used. They were divided into three equal main groups: one received saline as the control group; the other two groups got oral SB treatment every day for three weeks at dosages of 300 and 500 mg/kg. At the end of the study, animals were sacrificed. Blood and liver samples were collected. Blood indices, glucose, renal profile (creatine, urea, and uric acid), liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and ALP), lipid profile (TC, TG, LDL, HDL, vLDL), GSH and MDA were analyzed in all groups. Results: The findings demonstrated that administration of SB significantly raised ALP, ALT, AST, creatinine, urea, glucose, TC, TG, LDL, VLDL, and MDA. Furthermore, the high dose of sodium benzoate resulted in a significant decline in RBC count, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit values, HDL, and GSH. Conclusion: These results imply that the preservative sodium benzoate has adverse effects on the liver, kidneys, and possibly even some hematological parameters. Keywords: Sodium benzoate, liver enzymes, kidney, lipids, oxidation