The effect of cider vinegar on some nutritional and physiological parameters in mice

The present work was designed to investigate health effects of cider vinegar using mice as experimental model. Groups of female ICR (CD-1) mice were treated with daily oral doses of 0.17, 0.51 and 1.02 ml of the vinegar/kg body weight for 4 weeks. Cider vinegar induced a significant reduction in weight gain in animals treated with 0.51 ml/kg while others showed no significant differences in weight gain. The mean dry matter intake increased in animals treated with the smallest dose and significantly decreased in others. Hemoglobin (Hb), total erythrocyte counts (TEC) and total leukocyte counts (TLC) were raised in all treated groups. The activity of liver aspartate amino transferase (AST) decreased in the group treated with the smallest dose while no significant variations were recorded in the other groups. No significant differences were recorded neither in the activity of hepatic alanin amino transferase (ALT) nor in hepatic acid phosphatase (ACP). Liver alkaline phosphatase (ALP) noticeably elevated only in animals treated with 0.51 ml of vinegar/kg body weight per day. Treated groups also showed statistically significant increases in both mean liver and spleen weight. Kidney weight did not show significant differences. High doses of cider vinegar induced histopathological alterations in liver, stomach and duodenum. Vacuolated hepatocytes, erosion of gastric mucosa, dilatation in gastric glands and duodenum villus blunting are the common observed lesions noticed in organs of high dose-treated animals.