Natural Ghee Enhances the Biochemical and Immunohistochemical Reproductive Performance of Female Rabbits

Hassan T El-Gharrawy; Kadry M Sadek; Sahar F Mahmoud; Attaa M Abd Elrehim; Mustafa Shukry; Heba I Ghamry; Samah F Ibrahim; Liana Fericean; Mohamed Abdo; Mohamed M Zeweil

doi:10.3390/life13010080

Natural Ghee Enhances the Biochemical and Immunohistochemical Reproductive Performance of Female Rabbits

Life (Basel). 2022 Dec 27;13(1):80. doi: 10.3390/life13010080.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour 22511, Egypt.
² Department of Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour 22511, Egypt.
³ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour 22511, Egypt.
⁴ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh 33516, Egypt.
⁵ Department of Home Economics, College of Home Economics, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 960, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Department of Biology and Plant protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Life Sciences "King Michael I", 300645 Timișoara, Romania.
⁸ Department of Animal Histology and Anatomy, School of Veterinary Medicine, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Cairo 11829, Egypt.
⁹ Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sadat City, Sadat City 32897, Egypt.

Abstract

The reproductive effects of several dietary fats (margarine, ghee, and olive oil) on female rabbits were studied. For that purpose, 40 mature female rabbits were designed into four groups of ten rabbits each. Group I was given a control diet, Group II received 10% margarine, Group III received 10% ghee, and Group IV received 10% olive oil; after two months, all rabbits were sacrificed. Lipid profile and reproductive hormones levels were assayed in serum besides ovarian antioxidant enzyme and lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, ovarian tissue was examined using hematoxylin−eosin staining and immunohistochemistry of estrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor, and caspase 3. Our data revealed that the margarine significantly (p < 0.05) increased lipid profile and malondialdehyde (MDA) level, which decreased in olive oil and ghee compared to the control. In addition, serum FSH and estrogen (estradiol (E2)) were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in the group treated with margarine. Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in ovarian superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activity in the margarine-treated group. In contrast, SOD and MDA showed a significant (p > 0.05) increase in the olive oil and ghee- treated group compared to the control group. At the same time, there was a significant increase in serum FSH and (estradiol (E2)) in the ghee and olive oil groups, respectively, compared to the control. The margarine feed group showed moderate immunoreaction of estrogen, FSH, LH receptor, and strong caspase 3, while ghee and olive oil showed strong immunoreaction of estrogen, FSH, LH receptor, and mild immunoreaction of caspase 3 in ovarian tissue. Photomicrograph of rabbit ovarian tissue showed vacuolation in small and growing follicles in the margarine group but appeared normal in ghee and the olive oil-treated group. In conclusion, based on these results, olive oil and ghee have a strong capability of enhancing lipid profile, antioxidant status, and female hormonal functions.

Keywords: antioxidants; fertility; ghee; margarine; reproductive hormones.

Grants and funding

The authors thank the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University for funding this work through the Large Groups Project under grant number R.G.P2/200/43. We appreciate the resources the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project number (PNURSP2022R127) provided, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This paper is published from the own research funds of the University of Life Sciences “King Michael I” from Timișoara, Romania.