EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF ACIDIC SMOOTHIE FORMULATIONS ON FECAL CONTENTS AND HEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE OF EXPERIMENTAL FEMALE ALBINO RATS (RATTUS NORVEGICUS)

The potential health benefits and physiological changes associated with the consumption of acidic smoothies is unfolding daily. Therefore, the need to investigate the impact of acidic smoothie formulations on fecal content and hematological parameters in female albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) is of great importance to contribute to the understanding of their nutritional implications and therapeutic potentials. Six number of 74 days old female Wistar albino (Rattus norvegicus) were purchased from the Faculty of Basic Medical Science, University of Calabar (UNICAL). The rats were randomly divided into two groups of three each. Acidic fruit smoothie, formulated from Pineapples and oranges were prepared and administered according to the body weight (1ml/kg body weight) of the rats in group 1 alongside commercially prepared growers mash (Vital Feeds, Grand Cereals Limited, Ibadan, Nigeria) and water while the rats in group 2 served as the control group and were fed with 100% commercially prepared growers mash (Vital Feeds, Grand Cereals Limited, Ibadan, Nigeria), clean drinking water for 30 days. Bacteriological analysis of the fecal content was carried out twice (second and last week) and blood was collected by cardiac puncture after the thirty days trial to obtain the hematological indices. The hematological variables such as White Blood Cells, neutrophils, lymphocyte, monocytes, eosinophil, basophils, etc. were determined. The bacterial cell count obtained after the first sampling from group one ranged from 2.0×107- 3.9×107 Cfu/mL while that obtained from group 2(control group) ranged from 3.5×108 to 3.4×108 Cfu/Ml. For the second analysis, the bacterial cell count obtained from group 1 ranged from 1.02×107 - 4.0×107 Cfu/mL while group two had bacterial cell count ranging from 6.2×108 - 7.0×108 Cfu/mL. Six (6) genera of microorganisms were distributed differently within the experimented groups. The identified organisms include Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp., Klebsiella spp., Enterococcus spp., Escherichia coli and Kluyvera spp. Group one had a total of 8 isolates with Staphylococcus spp. occurring at 3(37.5%), Bacillus and Klebsiella spp. 2(25%) and Escherichia coli with 1(12.5%). From the control group (Group 2), a total of 6 isolates were obtained with Staphylococcus and Bacillus spp. occurring at 2 (33.3%), Enterococcus and Kluyvera spp. 1(16.67%). Gram positive and Gram-negative organisms had the same occurrence rate at 3(50%). Though there was no significant difference at P≤0.05 (0.2) in the occurrence rate of all organisms across the experimented groups, the results reveals a higher number of isolates from group 3 with a total of 8 isolates than group 5 with a total of 6 isolates. For the hematological profile, the results reveled a general increase in the values from group 1 than group 2 in indicators such as white blood cells (G1-10.6/G2-4.3), lymphocytes (G1-75.3/G2-47.5), Hemoglobin (G1-15.13/G2-12.87), Packed Cell Volume (G1-44.6/G2-37.3), and Mean Corpuscular volume (G1-36.33/G2-31.1). The values obtained were also in line with the standard healthy range of hematological parameters for albino rats. The results of this study therefore recommends the consumption of these smoothies on a regular basis for immunity boost and restoration of normal gastrointestinal micro flora. Also, proper safety measures are required during the preparation of smoothies in order to prevent contamination from bacteria which can pose significant health risks to humans.