The Effects of Pollen on Serum Parameters, and Liver and Kidney Tissues of Rats

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate any positive effects or possible side effects of the use of pollen. Mature male rats were fed pollen of three different plant sources (Trifolium spp., Raphanus spp. and Cistus spp.) at the rate of 60 mg/animal/day over a period of 30 days. After treatment, biochemical parameters and serum enzyme activities were analysed and weights of liver and kidney measured. Liver and kidney tissues of rats were examined by light microscope. Serum cholesterol and HDL levels decreased in rats fed on pollen of Trifolium spp. and Cistus spp. Serum glucose levels increased in rats given pollen of Trifolium spp. and Raphanus spp. There was no change in serum enzyme levels in rats of any pollen group. While absolute liver weights of rats fed on pollen of Trifolium spp. and Cistus spp. increased, no change at all in absolute kidney weight and relative weight (organ weight/body weight) of liver and kidney of rats was found in any pollen group. Histopathological changes in the liver and kidney of rats given pollen were not observed. Although serum cholesterol and HDL levels decreased, we cannot suggest that pollen caused either adverse or beneficial effects because of the short tretment period of 30 days.

Polen je hrana sa savršeno uravnoteženim vrednostima hranljivih materija. Polen koji prikupljaju pčele uglavnom ima 40% sadržaja proteina, esencijalnih aminokiselina, malo masti i visok sadržaj minerala. Predmet ovog istraživanja bilo je ispitivanje pozitivnog delovanja ili mogućeg sporednog delovanja polena. Odrasli mužjaci pacova su u ovom istraživanju dobijali ishranom polen tri vrste biljaka (Trifolium spp., Raphanus spp. i Cistus spp.) i to u koncentraciji od 60 mg po životinji dnevno tokom 30 dana. Na kraju tretmana, analizirani su biohemijski parametri i aktivnost serumskih enzima i zabeležena masa jetre i bubrega. Tkiva jetre i bubrega su takođe ispitivana pod svetlosnim mikroskopom. Kod pacova koji su hranjeni polenom Trifolium spp. i Cistus spp. došlo je do smanjenja nivoa holesterola i HDL u serumu. Nivo glukoze u serumu je povećan kod pacova koji su primali polen Trifolium spp. i Raphanus spp. Nije bilo promene nivoa enzima kod pacova koji su primali različite vrste polena. Dok se apsolutna masa jetre kod pacova koji su dobijali polen Trifolium spp. i Cistus spp. povećala, nije zapažena nikakva promena apsolutne mase bubrega, niti relativne mase jetre i bubrega kod pacova koji su dobijali različite vrste polena. Tkivo jetre i bubrega pacova koji su dobijali polen bilo je slično onom kod kontrolne grupe pacova. Prema podacima dobijenim u ovom istraživanju, iako su se nivoi holesterola i HDL u serumu smanjili, ne možemo sa sigurnošću utvrditi eventualne negativne ili pozitivne efekte zbog trajanja tretmana polenom od samo 30 dana.