EFFECTS OF LEACHED POLYSTYRENE INTO FOOD ON SERUM LIPID PROFILE OF NORMAL ALBINO RATS

ABSTRACT Polystyrene is an aromatic hydrocarbon forming a colorléss liquid widely used in the manufacturing of plastics, rubber, and resins for its ability to readily form polymers Polystyrene is primarily used in the manufacturing of products for everyday use, including packaging materials, insulation, fiberglass products, plastic pipes and food containers. This study investigates the effects of formulations of polystyrene incorporated into normal rat chow on serum vitamin levels in experimental animals. Two groups of experimental animals were used for the analysis, group I (Control), fed normal rat chow without exposure to polystyrene (n=10) and group Il (Experimental groups) fed with normal rat chow with leached polystyrene for 30 days (n=10), and serum levels of vitamins A, C, and E were measured. Results indicated that the incorporation of polystyrene affected the bioavailability of these vitamins. Group I exhibited serum levels of vitamin A (5.42 ± 0.11 mg/dL), vitamin C (6.22 ± 1.21 mg/dL), and vitamin E (26.96 ± 1.11 mg/dL). In contrast, Group Il showed increased serum levels: vitamin A (6.04 ± 2.56 mg/dL), this suggests that higher concentrations of polystyrene may enhance the bioavailability or absorption of vitamin A, although the variability in Group Il indicates that other factors could influence these levels, vitamin C (7.25 ± 2.42 mg/dL), The increase in vitamin C levels in Group Il indicates a potential protective effect against oxidative stress, possibly due to interactions between polystyrene and metabolic pathways involving vitamin C and vitamin E (29.45 ± 1.56 mg/dL) suggests that polystyrene may influence lipid metabolism or antioxidant status, enhancing the availability of vitamin E in the serum.. The findings suggest that the presence of polystyrene in diet may have a differential impact on vitamin metabolism and bioavailability. The results indicate that graded formulations of polystyrene can affect serum levels of essential vitamins, suggesting alterations in absorption, metabolism, or interactions with dietary components.