VARIATIONS IN LIVER ALKALINE AND ACID PHOSPHATASE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES OF WISTAR RATS EXPOSED TO SELCTED COMMERCIAL CLEANING AGENTS

This study investigated the effects of selected commercial cleaning agents on hepatic alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and acid phosphatase (ACP) specific activities in Wistar rats. Forty adult rats were divided into ten groups (A–J) and orally exposed to varying combinations of phenolic, hypochlorite, and chloroxylenol-based disinfectants for 21 days, while group J served as the control. Liver homogenates were analysed spectrophotometrically for ALP and ACP activities, and data were subjected to one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test at p < 0.05. Results showed statistically significant variations (p < 0.05) in both enzymes among treatment groups, indicating hepatocellular perturbation. ALP activity exhibited a pronounced elevation in group C (0.823 ± 0.137 U/mg protein), representing approximately a 3.4-fold increase relative to control (0.242 ± 0.068 U/mg), suggesting membrane leakage and biliary canalicular stress. Conversely, ACP activity peaked in groups F (1.077 ± 0.180 U/mg) and G (1.249 ± 0.490 U/mg), showing nearly twofold to 2.3-fold increases compared with control (0.541 ± 0.134 U/mg), consistent with lysosomal enzyme release and autolytic degeneration. The differential enzyme modulation demonstrates a dual hepatotoxic mechanism—ALP elevation reflecting membrane destabilisation, and ACP elevation signifying lysosomal rupture. These biochemical patterns align with oxidative stress-mediated hepatotoxicity reported in detergent exposure studies. The findings confirm that common cleaning agents, when improperly diluted or overused, can elicit significant hepatic enzyme disturbances even at sub-toxic concentrations. ALP and ACP therefore constitute sensitive biomarkers for early detection of detergent-induced hepatotoxicity and provide valuable indices for environmental and occupational biomonitoring.