Evaluation of Cardiovascular Disease Indices in Rats Supplemented with Different Brands of Dietary Vegetable Oils

<i>Purpose: </i>This study aimed to evaluate the impact of commonly used cooking oils on various cardiovascular factors in Wistar rats. <i>Methods: </i>Forty-two Wistar rats were involved in the experiment, averaging three months in age and weighing 140 ± 2.45 g. The oils analysed included Palm oil, Emperor oil, Golden Penny oil, Mamador oil, King's oil, and Power oil, all sourced from different markets in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Each group of Wistar rats was orally administered with 1.0 ml of their respective oil for 30 days, while the control group received no oil. On the 31st day, after a night of fasting, the rats were anaesthetised, and blood samples were collected via cardiac puncture into clearly labelled plain bottles. These blood samples were analysed for lipid profiles using enzymatic methods for the purposes of computing the cardiovascular indices. The cardiac marker CK-MB was evaluated using enzymatic techniques, and cardiac Troponin 1 (cTnI) was measured using the ELISA technique. <i>Results: </i>cTI levels significantly increased in the Golden Penny and Power oil groups at (p = 0.0195) compared to the control. CK-MB levels were significantly elevated in the Mamador oil and Emperor oil groups at (p = 0.0090). The Castelli Index 1 increased substantially in the Palm oil and Power oil groups, but decreased significantly in the King’s oil group compared to the control group at (p = 0.0184). <i>Conclusion: </i>The impact of various cooking oils on cardiovascular parameters in Wistar rats differs by brand. This implies that the choice of cooking oil should be based on an informed decision, rather than relying on labels.