Volume 4 (Issue 1)
ABSTRACT:
Microwave food consumption is becoming a cause for concern due to health hazard often associated with exposure to
radiation. The purpose of this research is to validate the bio-safety of special microwave dish used in microwave oven,
in line with other non-microwave utensils.
Thirteen female albino rats (N=13) were used for the study and were divided into five groups; aluminium group (A), ceramic group (B), plastic group (C), special microwave dish group (D) and control group (E). The animals were fed with microwave treated rat pellets using different utensils, apart from the control group.
The experiment lasted for 60 days. The animals were sacrificed and blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture for biochemical and histopathological analyses. Creatinine, urea, uric acid, chloride test, sodium and potassium ions, total protein, cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) concentrations were evaluated in the kidney homogenate, including total protein using analytical kits.
immunoglobulins G and E were evaluated in the serum using ELISA kits. Comparative analyses of the control and
experimental groups showed that intake of microwave treated pellets caused significant (P<0.05) alterations in the
biochemical parameters evaluated. The result of the histopathology shows that there were lesions in the kidney tissues
of the experimental animals as compared to control which could lead to kidney failure.
The findings of the histopathology test further authenticate the biochemical imbalances in the parameters investigated. The study therefore discourages the use of non-microwave and microwave dishes in cooking and heating of food.
Keywords: Microwave oven; kidney; electrolyte; immunoglobulin; lipid profile; histopathology; rats