الفهرس 
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Abstract
Food additives are chemical substances added intentionally to food stuffs to preserve, color, sweeten and flavor food. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used as a flavor enhancer and is found in most soups, salad dressing and processed meat. The use of MSG in food is growing. Irrational fear had increased in the last few years due to the adverse reactions and toxicity of MSG and there is growing concern that excitotoxins such as MSG play a critical role in the development of several hepatic disorders. Propolis, a resinous wax-like beehive product is collected by honey bees from plant exudates and the chemical properties of propolis are not only beneficial to bees but have general pharmacological value as a natural mixture. The present study aimed to investigate the protective and curative effects of propolis against MSG on the rat liver. Fifty male albino rats weighting 75-95 g. were used to study the biochemical analysis of liver function parameters, including ALAT, ASAT, ALP activities, total proteins, albumin in the blood sera, MDA, GSH and electrophoresis in liver tissue. Besides, studying the histological alterations and histochemical changes including total proteins and carbohydrates in liver tissues. The experimental animals were divided into five groups, 10 rats each, and treated as follows: 1) rats received distilled water (controls group); 2) rats received 200 mg propolis/kg b. w. for 8 weeks (Propolis group); 3) rats received 1 g MSG /kg. b. w. for 8 weeks (MSG group); 4) rats received 200 mg propolis /kg. b. w. for 8 weeks +1 g MSG/kg b. w. during the last 4 weeks (protective group); 5) rats received 1 g MSG/kg. b. w. for 8 weeks+200 mg propolis/kg b. w. during the last 4 weeks (therapeutic group). Rats were received their respective doses daily by oral gavage.
The results of the present study in MSG group reveal that the mean body weight, absolute and relative liver weight was increased and a highly significant increase in ASAT, ALAT, ALP and MDA activities and decrease in total proteins, albumin and GSH. In electrophoresis study, there was decrease in fractions 1, 2, 5 and fraction 6 and increase in fractions 3 and 4. The Histopathological studies displayed deleterious alterations in the liver tissues where MSG caused distortion or disorganization of hepatic architecture with inflammatory reaction and leucocytic infiltration in the liver tissues together with swollen vacuolar, hyaline degeneration and even atrophy and necrosis of hepatocytes. Congestion, dilatation, damage of blood vessels and haemorrhage were met with. The portal tract showed increased fibrosis, thick walled fibrotic portal vein and inflammatory cell infiltration. Histochemical studies revealed that MSG alone decreased polysaccharides and total proteins in the liver tissue. In the protective group, propolis extract in this group showed considerable protection in the activity of ASAT, ALAT, ALP, total protein, albumin, MDA, GSH and the mean body weight, absolute and relative liver weight, electrophoresis. Histopathological and histochemical alterations were also protected. On the contrary, propolis extract in the therapeutic group showed mild improvement to the changes induced by MSG.
In conclusion, the results confirm the hepatotoxic effect of MSG in addition to the hepatoprotective effect of propolis. In contrast, using propolis as a therapeutic agent was only of limited value in reversing the biochemical, histopathological and histochemical alteration.
Key Words: Liver, Monosodium glutamate, Propolis, Biochemical, Oxidative stress, Electrophoresis, Histological, Histochemical.