Status of Some Biochemical Markers in Sprague dawley Rats Following Sub-Chronic Consumption of Alum- Treated Water

aspartate aminotransferase and C-reactive Alum is a double salt of aluminum and potassium protein may be altered in Sprague-dawley rats sulfates. The aim of this study was to investigate following consumption of 15 ml of 0.04% the status of some biochemical markers in concentration of alum- treated water for 30 days. Sprague-dawley rats following sub-chronic Thus, it is recommended that this study in a well consumption of alum- treated water. It consisted guided manner be carried out in humans to of 21 rats of 3–4 months old weighing roughly ascertain if the findings will be consistent. 122 ± 0.5 g. They were divided into three groups at random with 7 rats / group. The control group

drinkable water. Therefore, surface waters must Materials and Methods be used to create drinkable water. Turbidity and Study area organic debris from drinking water are This work was done in the Department of Medical frequently removed using a physico-chemical Laboratory Science, Niger Delta University, process in water treatment facilities (Edzwald Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. and Tobiason, 1999). Clarification, filtration, and refinement are the three processes in the Ethical approval traditional treatment of drinking water (Guilleret Approval was obtained from the University et al ., 1990). ethical committee and the work was done according to the National Guidelines for Animal To clear water of undesired colour and turbidity, usage in research. alum is used as a flocculant. It has been utilized for this since antiquity. Its usage, together with Experimental design filtration, is customary in traditional water Inclusion and exclusion criteria treatment procedures throughout the world The Sprague-dawley rats used for this study were (Malik, 2018). Aluminium ions hydrolysis between 3-4 months old. These rats were all quickly thus forming a range of metal hydrolysis males and have weight ranging from 122 ± 0.5 g. species upon addition to water. Due to its Besides, they were all apparently healthy. Those indisputable impacts on human health, the that had ill health were excluded from this study. content of the metal in water treatment facilities should be kept under control (Malik, 2018 al., 2015). Numerous studies support limiting the of alum-treated water for one day respectively. acceptable threshold in drinking water to 0.1 3 After this treatment they were monitored for 24 mg/dm (Yue et al., 2016). Most villagers in this hours for signs, symptoms and death that may part of the country continue to drink alum-treated result from the toxic effect of the water. The LC 50 water indiscriminately, disregarding the amount was obtained in group C and calculated with of alum present in the water, despite established reference to the arithmetic method of Karber as findings regarding the negative effects of doing modified by Nwachukwu et al. (2011). so. Therefore, it is crucial to carry out this study to examines the status of a few biochemical Sub-chronic toxicity study markers in Sprague-dawley rats after sub-Twenty-one Sprague-dawley rats aged 3-4 chronic consumption of alum-treated water in months, weighing 122 ± 0.5 g were grouped into order to apply the results to human.

Measurement of creatinine This group consisted of 7 male Sprague-dawley
The Jaffe reaction method of Randox rats, of 3-4 months old, weighing 122 ± 0.5g.
Laboratories Limited modified by Egoro et al. Each of these rats was given 15 ml of 0.04 % (2022) was adopted. concentration of alum treated water daily for a period of 15 days.

Measurement of C-reactive protein
The latex turbidimetry method of Randox Experimental group two Laboratories Limited modified by Emmanuel et Seven male Sprague-dawley rats of 3-4 months al.
(2021) was utilized. old, weighing 122 ± 0.5 g made up this group. Each of these rats was given 15 ml of 0.04 % Statistical analysis concentration of alum treated water daily which The data got were illustrated as mean and standard lasted for 30 days. deviation using SPSS version 23.0 for analysis. Student's "t" test was used to express the Control group differences between the groups with a p-value of p The rats in this group were not given any < 0.05 considered statistically significant. concentration of alum-treated water to consume. These rats were given 15 ml of distilled water Results and Discussion daily for 30 days.
In this study, the male Sprague-dawley rats consumed 15 ml of 0.04 % concentration of Upon completion of this experiment, chloroform alum-treated water daily for 15 days technique was applied in the anaesthetization of (experimental group one), and another group of the rats. The five milliliters blood specimen male Sprague-dawley rats consumed 15 ml of withdrawn from each rat was via cardiac 0.04 % concentration of alum-treated water daily puncture which was used for the biochemical for 30 days (experimental group two). investigations.
The findings from the male Sprague-dawley rats Sample size determination that drank 15 ml of alum-treated water on a daily The resource equation method as modified by basis for 15 days (experimental group one) as Wan and Wan (2017) was adopted. displayed in Table 1 and indicated that there was no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) Biochemical tests between the mean value / standard deviation of All the reagents used for this research were alanine aminotransferase (8.25 ± 0.34) U/L, commercially purchased products of Randox when compared with the control group (8.20 ± Laboratories Limited, United Kingdom. 0.31) U/L.

Measurement of alanine aminotransferase
The results of the male Sprague-dawley rats in The colorimetric method of Randox experimental group one as displayed in alanine aminotransferase (8.20 ± 0.31) U/L, aspartate aminotransferase (7.80 ± 0.28) U/L and Results for the male Sprague-dawley rats in C-reactive protein (4.30 ± 0.14) mg/L. experimental group one as displayed in Table 1 that drank 15 ml of 0.04 % concentrated alum-T h e s e e l e v a t e d f i n d i n g s o f a l a n i n e treated water daily for 15 days showed no aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase significant differences (p>0.05) in the mean which are liver enzyme biomarkers as value / standard deviation of urea (1. 89 ± 0.27) established in this study and in agreement with mmol/L as compared to that of the control group the previous study of Bai et al. (2012) may be (1.85 ± 0.22) mmol/L. suggestive of injury imposed on the liver because of the bioaccumulation of aluminium in the liver Results for the male Sprague-dawley rats in due to the prolonged consumption of 15 ml of experimental group one as displayed in Table 1 0.04 % concentration of alum treated water for that drank 15 ml of 0.04 % concentrated alum-30 days. The liver's attempt to breakdown the treated water every day for 15 days revealed no stored aluminium may have resulted in its significant differences (p>0.05) in the mean oxidative injury and the release of these enzymes value / standard deviation comparison of into the plasma while the elevated mean value of creatinine value (53.29 ± 1.13) µmol/L to the C-reactive protein results may be indicative of an control group (53.25 ± 1.10) µmol/L. inflammatory disease as revealed in this study.
These biochemical results for the renal There was no statistically significant difference biomarkers urea and creatinine which may be a (p>0.05) between the mean values / standard pointer to normal kidney function, meaning that deviation of urea (1.90 ± 0.37) mmol/L in the the rats' consumption of 15 ml (0.04 %) of alum-experimental group two rats when compared to treated water for 15 days had no negative effects that of the control group (1.85 ± 0.22) mmol/L as on their kidneys is contradictory to the earlier shown further in Table 2. This finding is as research by Michael and John (1989) who established in this study. There was also no reported significant elevations of these statistically significant difference (p>0.05) biochemical markers.
between the mean values / standard deviation of creatinine (53.30 ± 1.15) µmol/L in the The results of the male Sprague-dawley rats experimental group two rats when compared to (experimental group one) that drank 15 ml of the control group (53.25 ± 1.10) µmol/L as 0.04 % concentrated alum-treated water daily for expressed in Table 2 which is as established in 15 days revealed no statistically significant this study as well. differences (p>0.05) in the mean value / standard deviation of C-reactive protein (4.33 ± 0.17) The overall findings of the mean values / mg/L as shown in Table 1 compared to the standard deviations of urea and creatinine control group's (4.30 ± 0.14) mg/L. biochemical markers in these experimental group two Sprague dawley rats may be This biochemical data for the inflammatory suggestive of normal kidneys status. biomarker C-reactive protein suggests that the 15 ml of 0.04 % concentrated alum-treated water Conclusion that these rats drank for 15 days may not have The conclusion drawn from this study showed caused an inflammatory condition. . that consumption of 15 ml, 0.04 % concentration of alum-treated water daily for 30 days could However, the results in the male Sprague-dawley cause Sprague dawley rats to develop hepatorats (experimental group two) compared with that inflammatory disorder while renal status of the control group as shown in Table 2 revealed remained unaffected. However, the Sprague significant elevations (p<0.05) in the mean values dawley rats' hepato-renal and inflammatory biomarkers did not respond negatively to daily (ii) Before consuming any alum treated water, consumption of 15 ml of alum-treated water with the amount of alum in the water must be a 0.04 % concentration for 15 days.
properly considered. (iii) People who drink water treated with alum at Recommendations a concentration equal to or higher than 0.04% (i) It is not recommended to consume alumshould periodically visit a registered and treated water for an extended period of time at authorized medical laboratory institution for concentrations equal to or higher than 0.04%. liver panel / inflammatory condition tests.