Influence of crude olive leaf juice on rat liver and kidney functions

Crude juice of olive leaves (Kronakii cultivar) was obtained by hydraulic press. The level of polyphenlic compounds in the juice was 215 ppm. An aliquots of the concentrated olive leaf juice, represent 600, 1200 and 2400 ppm as polyphenols and butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT; 200 ppm) were administered to rats daily for 6 weeks by stomach tube. The liver (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities) and kidney (bilirubin, uric acid, creatinine and urea) function tests and serum contents (total lipids, total cholesterol and low and high‐density lipoproteins) were measured to assess the safety limits of the polyphenolic compounds in the olive leaf juice. The data of the aforementioned measurements indicated that the administration of olive leaf juice did not cause any changes in liver and kidney functions. On the contrary, BHT at 200 ppm induced significant increases in the enzyme activities and the serum levels of total lipids, uric acid, urea and creatinine. Microscopical examinations of kidney and liver tissues of rats administered with the phenolic compounds of olive leaf juice had the histological character as that of control rats whilst, the administration of BHT at 200 ppm altered the features of rat liver tissues and severely damaged the rat kidney tissues.