ABSTRACT

This study investigated  the effects of consuming fresh and stored palm oil on the levels of sodium superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, two crucial antioxidant enzymes, in Wistar rats.  The study found that feeding Wistar rats with stored palm oil for 12 weeks resulted in a significant decrease in SOD activity and a significant increase in body weight compared to those fed with fresh palm oil.  However, there was no significant difference in the catalase activity between the two groups.  The decrease in SOD activity in rats fed stored palm oil may be due to the oxidation of the SOD enzyme by the oxidized products of palm oil.  The increase in body weight of rats fed stored palm oil may be due to the high content of saturated fatty acids in stored palm oil.  This study provides further evidence that the consumption of stored palm oil, which contains elevated levels of oxidized products, can have adverse effects on SOD activity and body weight in Wistar rats.