Biochemical Studies in The Effect of Nitrite Ion in Pre-chlorinated Drinking Water in Sohag Governorate on Male Albino Rats and Treatment with Vitamin C

Abstract

The presence of nitrites in groundwater may be a sign of sewage pollution. Drinking water typically has nitrite concentrations below 0.1 mg L-1. To examine the effect of nitrites on the liver of male albino rats that were affected by nitrite dosages, and then to evaluate the ameliorative effect of vitamin C on the liver of male albino rats, this study intends to measure the nitrite concentrations in groundwater in Sohag governorate, Egypt. 60 albino adult male rats were placed into 4 groups, each group contains 15 animals: T1: standard nutrition (Control group), T2: Drinking water containing (>0.2 mg L-1 nitrite) group. T3: Sodium nitrite (300 mg/kg of body weight) group, T4: Sodium nitrite followed by vitamin C (300 mg/kg of body weight) daily for 3 months. At the end of the experiment, all rats were sacrificed to collect blood samples and then evaluated aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and catalase, which showed a significant difference between animal groups especially elevation of hepatic parameters and decrease of antioxidant parameters in T3. The results of the biochemical analysis of the nitrite group and vitamin C group showed that there is a significant improvement in all parameters measured in the vitamin C group compared to the nitrites group.