Effects of Long-Term Consumption of Kunu Drinks on the Body and Brain Weights of Adult Wistar Rats

Effects of long-term consumption of kunu drinks commonly used as non-alcoholic drinks on the body and brain weights of adult wistar rats was carefully studied. Sixteen adult wistar rats of both sexes with average weight of 180g were randomly assigned into two groups: A and B of (n=8) in each group. Animals in group A served as treated group (n =8) which received kunu drinks and distilled water alternatively on a daily basis for 10hrs and 14hrs 1 liberally in thirty days, while the control group received distilled water liberally for the thirty days. The rats were obtained and maintained in the Animal Holdings of the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria. The animals were fed with normal rats feeds obtained from Opeyemi Feeds, Okedogbon Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria and given feeds liberally for the thirty days. The weight of the rats were measured during the period of the research and the animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation on the thirty-first day of the experiment. The brain was carefully dissected out, weighed using Mettler Toledo weighing balance. The values obtained from the control and treated groups were recorded and compared statistically using the unpaired sample t-test and symmetric measured test of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 21). The results obtained in this experiment revealed that there was a significant (P < 0.05) increase in body weight (g) and a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the relative brain weight (%) of the treated animals as compared to the control animals. There was a decrease in the brain weight (g) of the animals treated with kunu drinks but not significant (P < 0.05) as compared to the control animals. Long-term consumption of kunu drinks could therefore have adverse effects on the body and brain weights of adult wistar rats. Further studies are important to elucidate which of the kunu drinks constituents has more impact on the weight differences.

Key Words: Body, Brain, weight, Kunu, Wistar rats