EFFECTS OF ORALLY ADMINISTERED CHRONIC-LOW DOSE MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (MSG) ON HAEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AND LIVER HISTOLOGY IN ADULT FEMALE WISTAR RATS

ABSTRACT As global food culture shifts toward convenience and synthetic flavoring, monosodium glutamate (MSG) has quietly embedded itself in daily diets particularly across sub-Saharan Africa without sufficient clarity on its long-term biological impact. This study investigated the effects of chronic low-dose MSG ingestion on both haematological parameters and liver histoarchitecture in adult female Wistar rats, aiming to uncover what often goes unnoticed beneath “acceptable” consumption levels. A total of 15 rats were grouped into a control (distilled water), 300 mg/kg MSG (Group B), and 1000 mg/kg MSG (Group C), orally administered over 60 days. Blood samples were analyzed for packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell count (WBC), lymphocytes, and neutrophils, while liver tissues were histologically examined using hematoxylin & eosin and Masson’s trichrome stains. Findings revealed that MSG, even at low doses, initiated subtle immune alterations with decreased PCV, WBC, and lymphocyte counts suggesting suppressed haematopoiesis or immunomodulation. In contrast, neutrophil elevation pointed toward an underlying pro-inflammatory state. Histological analysis revealed dose-dependent hepatic disruptions, including hepatocellular vacuolation, sinusoidal dilation, and mild fibrotic remodeling. These patterns correlated strongly with the immune findings, suggesting a systemic interplay between chronic glutamate exposure, inflammatory activation, and liver microstructure disorganization.This study underscores that chronic low-dose MSG, often assumed benign, may in fact prime both the immune system and the liver for dysfunction over time. These findings raise critical questions. about the overlooked risks of flavor enhancers in everyday diets especially in regions with minimal regulatory oversight. Keywords: Monosodium glutamate, Neutrophilic infiltration, Liver fibrosis, Hepatocellular degeneration, Oxidative stress, Excitotoxicity, Hepatic histopathology.