Effects of Dietary Spice Mixture on Hepatorenal, Lipid Profiles and Haematological Parameters of Albino Rats Fed Calcium Carbide Ripened Plantain

Calcium carbide is widely used for artificial fruit ripen in developing regions despite its established toxicity. Consumption of calcium carbide ripened foods have been linked to oxidative stress and organ damage. Natural spices possess antioxidant and detoxifying properties that may mitigate these adverse effects. This study assessed the protective and therapeutic effects of a formulated Nigerian spices mixture on liver and kidney functions, plasma electrolytes, lipid profile, and hematological parameters in rats fed calcium carbide ripened plantain. Thirty-six male Wistar rats were assigned to six groups of six rats/group: normal control (NOC), naturally ripened plantain (NRP), calcium carbide ripened plantain (CCR), standard control (SDC; vitamin C 100 mg/kg), prophylactic group (PRG; 300 mg/kg spices before exposure), and treatment group (TRG; 300 mg/kg spices after exposure). Biochemical and hematological parameters were analyzed using standard methods. Rats in the CCR group showed elevated ALT (66.2 ± 2.7 U/L) and AST (64.5 ± 2.2 U/L) compared with NOC (48.5 ± 0.3 U/L and 55.0 ± 0.6 U/L). plasma total bilirubin increased by 46% while albumin declined by 29%. Renal function markers were significantly raised, including urea (16.67 ± 0.45 mg/dL vs 13.48 ± 0.33 mg/dL in NOC). Electrolyte imbalance was evident with elevated K? (4.68 ± 0.30 mmol/L) and Cl? (103.5 ± 3.5 mmol/L) with reduced Na? (110.8 ± 1.6 mmol/L) and HCO?? (21.3 ± 0.5 mmol/L). Dyslipidemia occurred with increased total cholesterol (2.20 ± 0.15 mmol/L) and reduced HDL (0.39 ± 0.01 mmol/L). Hematological alteration included anemia (Hb = 11.9 ± 0.6 g/dL vs 16.0 ± 0.5 g/dL) and thrombocytosis (platelets = 696.7 ± 16.6 ×10?/L). Both PRG and TRG showed significant recovery, TRG values approached normal biochemical indices, while PRG demonstrated superior erythrocyte recovery (Hb = 14.5 ± 0.6 g/dL). The study concludes that calcium carbide ripened plantain induces systemic toxicity, which is effectively mitigated by the spices mixture, offering both preventive and therapeutic benefits.