Assessment of Select Heavy Metals In Serum of Wistar Rats Administered with Fake Paracetamol Syrup
Abstract
Ayobola A Iyanda
A number of chemical adulterants or contaminants have been identified in paracetamol syrup in Nigeria, one of the most common ones being diethylene glycol. The presence of heavy metals in therapeutic preparations has also been reported in other parts of the world, with devastating consequences. The aim of this experimental work is to investigate the level of Cd, Pb, Al, Si, Ni, As, in the serum of rats administered with fake paracetamol syrup. Twenty-one female rats of average weight of 200 g were randomly divided into 3 groups of 7 rats each. Treatment lasted 21 days and the route of administration was by gastric gavage. The first group received 90 mg/kg of fake Bonadabe paracetamol, the second group was administered with 90 mg/kg BW of genuine Bonadabe® paracetamol and the third group served as the control. Statistical analysis of data obtained using analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed there were no significant differences in the serum levels of all the heavy metals investigated at p>0.05. Results of this study suggest that heavy metal contamination of pediatric drugs may not be common in Nigeria, although such contaminations have been reported for other preparations in some parts of the world.
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