Influence of Processing and Storage on the Health Benefits of Sauce Produced from Capsicum spp (Pepper) and Lycopersicum esculentum (Tomato) in CCl4 Induced Hepatotoxic Wistar Rats

In nutraceutics, a wide range of nutritious foods are being explored for their pharmacological benefits. Pepper and tomato fruits are packed with health-promoting substances and can be processed into sauce, soups, paste, and other delicacies. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is an environmental toxicant that affects human health and induces hepatotoxicity in experimental animals. This study investigated how heat treatment and storage periods affect the biological role of sauce produced from pepper (Capsicum annum, Capsicum chinense) and tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum). This was evaluated in CCl4 induced hepatotoxic rats pre-fed the sauce-supplemented diet. The rats were administered a single intraperitoneal dose of CCl4 (3ml/kg bw) in olive oil suspension (1:1 v/v) after 14 days pre-administration of the diet (4g/100g of sauce). They were grouped as follows I: control (basal diet), II: CCl4 + fresh sauce-supplemented diet, III: CCl4 + 1 month sauce-supplemented diet, IV: CCl4 + 2 months sauce supplemented diet, V: CCl4 + 3 months sauce-supplemented diet, VI: negative control (CCl4 + Basal diet). The effect on oxidative stress, inflammatory markers, and liver function parameters was observed. Pre-administration of the sauce-supplemented diet significantly p <0.05 reduced the ROS, TNF-a, IL-6 and IL-1 levels with a concomitant improvement in antioxidant status, and liver function parameters. This study revealed the antioxidant potential of the sauce and also the nutritional value was not reduced by storage.