Chemical Parameters of Palm Oil (Elaeis guineensis) and its Effects on the Cardiovascular System of Adult Male Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Palm oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil in the world. Due to its high content of saturated fatty acids (SFA), particularly palmitic acid, it is considered by some authors to be potentially harmful to health. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of consuming palm oil (crude and refined) on the cardiovascular system of rats (Rattus Norvegicus). The study involved chemical analysis of crude and refined palm oil, followed by a nutritional experiment using rats fed diets containing crude palm oil, refined palm oil, and sunflower oil. A histological study was conducted to observe the rats’ arteries. Results showed that the chemical parameters of refined palm oil were superior to those of sunflower oil. Palm oil consumption had a notable impact on animal growth, with rats fed palm oil diets showing greater weight gain than those fed sunflower oil. Moreover, the presence of palm oils in the diets did not significantly affect the relative weights of harvested organs. Finally, histological analysis of the arteries revealed that sunflower oil posed a higher cardiovascular risk than palm oil.