Morpometric and macroanatomic investigation of the effects of curcumin (Curcuma longa) supplied intraperitoneally to young adult rats on the liver, gall bladder and ducts

Aim: In the case of fatty liver with a high-fat diet, alternative medicine methods attract a lot of attention today. Curcumin, the main bioactive component of the turmeric plant, has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-atherosclerotic and anti-lipidemic properties. Starting from here; It is thought that curcumin can reduce lipid accumulation and inflammation. Our main goal in this study is to examine the macroanatomical and morphometric results of the effect of curcumin on the lipidogenesis mechanism of the liver on rats with a fatty liver model using a high-fat diet. Material and Methods: In our study, male Sprague-Dawley rats were selected and divided into 3 groups (n=8/group) and fed for 8 weeks. Normal diet (Fat ratio: 12%) in the first group, high-fat diet (HFD) (Fat ratio: 43.6%) in the second group, and the third group was given curcumin (150 mg/kg/day) to be given intraperitoneally every day in addition to HFD. At the end of the period, the animals were euthanized, their liver tissues were taken, their macroscopy was examined, and the weight and length of the liver lobes were measured anatomically with the help of a caliper. Liver weights were measured and noted. The weight changes of the animals from the first day to the end of the experiment were recorded. Results: There was a significant difference between rats treated with HFD (Group II) and rats fed with HFD and simultaneously treated with curcumin (Group III). When the body weights, liver weights and lobe lengths of the rats (n=24) were measured, it was found that the II. group had higher values than the others. Conclusion: As a result, it has been observed that the use of curcumin prevents fatty liver due to its anti-lipidemic properties and reduces body weights because it reduces the visceral fat ratio and reduces the lobular size of the liver in macroanatomical terms.