Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9600
ISSN: 2155-9600
Abdelsalam Elnour, Abdullah Bamosa, Abdullah Al Meheithif and Khaled Aleissa
Zamzam water is alkaline mineral natural water consumed by millions of Muslims worldwide, who believe in its global healing effects. It is known that environmental toxins and oxidative stress are common mechanisms in the pathogenesis and complication of many diseases. Thus, the aim of the current study is to find out if Zamzam water can minimize liver toxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride. In three experiments, the effects of Zamzam water were compared to ordinary bottled water. This involved measurement of bilirubin, liver enzymes and different antioxidant parameters in serum of rats. In experiments 1 and 2, single injection of high and low doses was tested, respectively. In experiment 3, a repeated (4 days) very small dose was tested. In the three experiments, test groups were injected with carbon tetrachloride dissolved in olive oil, while control animals were injected with equivalent volume of olive oil only. In all experiments, carbon tetrachloride was associated with significant rise in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). In the single high dose experiment, serum AST and ALT were significantly lower in carbon tetrachloride treated rats given Zamzam water, than those given ordinary bottled water. This same trend persisted in the single small dose experiment and disappeared in very small repeated dose one. Plasma level of all tested antioxidant parameters in the three experiments did not follow a pattern which could explain the amelioration effect of Zamzam water on carbon tetrachloride liver toxicity. These results indicate that Zamzam water is a potential protective agent against carbon tetrachloride liver toxicity in rats. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanism of the beneficiary effect of Zamzam water, and to evaluate the effect of Zamzam water on other conditions of oxidative stress.