EFFECT OF GREEN VEGETABLES AND CAROTENOIDS ON SOME DISEASES IN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS

Abstract

Nutrition research has focused recently on beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein. These include carotenoids to be found in high concentrations in vegetables. One of the inajor characteristics of these carotenoids is their high antioxidative potential. Some studies reported that beta-carotene supplementation inhibited LDL oxidatio11, whereas otlzers did not find an inhibition of LDL oxidation.

The aim of current study was to study the effect of green leafiJ . vegetables (parsley) on glucose and blood lipids in experimental animals. In addition, compare the fleet of beta-carotene from natural sources (parsley) and supple111ents.

The studied materials were two sources of beta-carotene;

parsley (Petroselim1m rubrum) as natural source and beta-carotene

. tablets (Mepco) as a medicinal source. Leaves of parsley separated from the plant and cleaned plus was/zing carefully. Then tlze parsley leaves 1uere minced and kept frozen for beta-carotene estimation. Tlze placebo and parsley added in rats' diet to provide 50000 Jlg/1000 g diet (Lutz et al., 1995).

Moi tw e, aslz, proteh1, and fat contents were determined according to method described by the (AOAC 1990). Beta-Carotene in parsley was determined according to method described by Arrogave et al., (1981).