Evaluation of the toxicological status of Balanite aegyptiaca seed oil

Abstract

A total of fourteen rats were fed with diets containing either 10 % groundnut oil (control group) or 10 % Balanites aegyptiaca seed oil (experimental group) for six weeks. At the end of the experiment, the animals were sacrificed and blood samples and some organs of the rats in both groups were collected for analysis. The albino rats appeared to suffer no toxicological effect and weekly monitoring of the rats showed good physical appearance. The rats in the experimental groups displayed fairly similar body weight gain when compared with those from the control group. There was no significant difference between the haematological and histopathological results obtained for both the experimental and control groups except for the liver of two of the rats in the experimental that showed some lesion. There might be need for refining of the seed oil before it can be safe for animal/human consumption.

Key words: Balanites aegyptiaca; feed; haematological analysis; seed oil