Comparison of the antioxidant effect of vitamin E and Curcuma Longa L. extract on the histopathological lesions of Liver and kidney following aspartame consumption in rat

Aspartame is one of the most widely used artificial sweeteners in worldwide. The aim of this study was comparison of the antioxidant effect of vitamin E and Curcuma Longa L. extract on the histopathological lesions of aspartame consumption in rat. 32 males adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into four equal groups as follows: (1) control, (2) receiving aspartame (350 mg/kg) orally, (3) receiving aspartame (350 mg/kg) orally and vitamin E (400 mg/kg) by peritoneal injection, (4) receiving aspartame (350 mg/kg) and Curcuma Longa L. extract (200 mg/kg) orally for 1 month. At the end of the experiment, after tissue processing of livers and kidneys of rats, histopathological changes were examined and analyzed by using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Histopathological examination of liver in group 2 showed disruption of the hepatic cords, vacuolar degeneration and accumulation of necrotic materials in hepatocytes. Furthermore, renal tissue evaluation revealed degeneration of proximal and distal convoluted tubules; glomerular atrophy and increasing of urinary space. Above-mentioned lesions were significantly improved in groups 3 and 4 in comparison to group 2 (P