Document Type : Original research articles
Authors
1
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Home Economics, Menoufia University, Shibin El-Kom, Egypt
2
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences., Faculty of Home Economics, Menoufia University, Shibin El Kom, Egypt
Abstract
Constipation is a prevalent gastrointestinal disease affecting individuals' life quality. Prunes and red beetroot are traditional remedies for constipation. This study investigated the potential laxative effects of prune powder (PP), beetroot powder (BP), and their mixture (PBM) on constipation in rats. Forty-two adult rats were divided into two main groups. Group (1, n=6), the normal control, was fed the basal diet (BD), and group (2, n=36) was given loperamide (LOP) to induce constipation and subdivided into six equal subgroups. Group (I), the constipated control, was fed BD. The remaining constipated subgroups fed experimental diets containing PP (groups II&III) or BP (groups IV&V) at 5.0 and 10.0% w/w of the BD, respectively. While group (VI) was given an experimental diet containing PBM (in equal ratios) at 10.0% of the BD. LOP administration resulted in a significant (p≤0.05) reduction in water intake by -30.46%, fecal parameters (number of pellets, wet weight, dry weight, and water content by -44.81%, -48.06%, -31.82%, and -32.89%, respectively), gastrointestinal motility by -35.91%, and markedly increased gastrointestinal transit time by 35.20%. Additionally, it caused disruptions in serum lipid profile, liver and kidney functions in constipated control rats compared to normal rats. Feeding the constipated rats with the experimental diets significantly (p≤0.05) restored these parameters toward normal levels without causing diarrhea, most effectively with the PBM diet. In conclusion, PP and BP relieved LOP-induced constipation in rats, providing a scientific justification for their traditional use.
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