DIETARY FOOD FORTIFIED WITH OROTIC ACID AND LIVER FUNCTION.docVIP

MAKARA, SAINS, VOL. 15, NO. 2, NOVEMBER 2011: 101-105 DIETARY FOOD FORTIFIED WITH OROTIC ACID AND LIVER FUNCTION Yohanes Buang Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Nusa Cendana University, Kupang 85001, Indonesia E-mail: pajohn_buang@ Abstract The effects of dietary food fortified with orotic acid (1.0%) on liver function were studied in rats. The rats fed with orotic acid promoted liver triglyceride content markedly, that was 5-fold higher than that of the control. The liver malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased by 10%, but the gluthation peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity decreased by 50%. The serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities increased by 25% and 30%, respectively. Therefore, the decreased GSH-Px activity was associated with the promotions of AST, ALT, and the liver MDA levels. In conclusion: dietary orotic acid promotes lipid peroxidation but reduces the rate of the antioxidant enzyme. Therefore, dietary food fortified with orotic acid attenuates the liver function. Keywords: animal model, liver function, steatohepatitis 1. Introduction can also serve as structural molecule [1]. The nutrients can only be metabolized optimally in a certain quantity. Nutrients, therefore, can be categorized into macro- and micro-nutrients. The macronutrients are needed in large amounts by the metabolic systems. The micronutrients, Liver is known as the central organ of metabolism providing numerous metabolic intermediates/precursors used in various enzymatic pathways throughout the body. The gluconeogenetic metabolism, for example, occurs in liver, but its precursors can come from extrahepatic tissue and its product, glucose, can be used to provide cellular energy metabolism throughout the body. Hence, the glucose, in the liver, can be synthesized from glucogenic amino acids from extra hepatic t