Authors
Title
Abstract
Calcium deficiency has been often noted in the diet of women, therefore it is important to search for new sources of this essential mineral. One of the innovative products is a calcium-enriched pumpkin. Supplying the body with easily assimilable calcium may have a decreasing effect on the symptoms associated with menopause. The objective of the research study was to determine the effect of calcium lactate-enriched, osmotically dehydrated pumpkin used to feed the ovariectomised rats on the changes in biochemical parameters of their blood. The research study was conducted on the 12-week-old female Wistar rats. The animals were divided into 8 groups (n = 10), 7 of which had ovariectomy. The rats were fed a standard diet that was modified depending on the group: 1) control K(-) – a standard diet (not modified), 2) control K(+) of ovariectomised rats – a standard diet (not modified), 3) OVXDEF – a calcium-deficient diet, 4) OVXP – a not enriched pumpkin diet, 5) OVXCaL – a calcium lactate diet, 6) OVXPCaL – a calcium lactateenriched pumpkin diet, 7) OVXCaLA – a calcium lactate diet with potassium alendronate added, 8) OVXPCaLA – a calcium-enriched pumpkin diet with alendronate added. 12 weeks after the intervention, an analysis of the bodies of rats was performed; next, the animals were decapitated and their blood was drawn for analysis. In the blood serum there were determined: the lipid profile, ALT and AST aminotransferases and glucose. It was proved that the ovariectomy significantly impacted the increase in the bodyweight of rats, fat content, ALT level and it adversely impacted the lipid profile. Furthermore, it was reported that the calcium-enriched pumpkin significantly reduced the levels of alanine aminotransferase and triglycerides in the blood of rats after ovariectomy. The overall conclusion is that the calcium lactateenriched pumpkin normalises the parameters of liver function and the lipid parameters in rats after ovarian removal surgery.
Keywords
enriched pumpkin, calcium, ovariectomy, lipid profile, transaminases