Abstract:
Replacing sucrose with non-caloric sweeteners is an approach to avoid overweight and
diabetes development. Non-caloric sweeteners are classified into either artificial as
sucralose or natural as stevia. Both of them have been approved by FDA, but the effects
of their chronic consumption are controversial. The present study aimed to evaluate the
effects of these two sweeteners, in male and female albino mice, on different blood
biochemical parameters, enzymes activities and immunological parameters after 8 and
16 weeks of sweeteners administration. 40.5 mg/ml of sucrose, 5.2 mg/ml of sucralose
and 4.2 mg/ml of stevia were dissolved individually in distilled water. Mice were
administrated by sweetener's solution for 5 hours daily. Male and female mice showed
a preference for water consumption with sucralose or stevia. Both of the two sweeteners
significantly reduced hemoglobin level, HCT%, RBCs and WBCs count. After 18
weeks, significant elevations in liver and kidney function enzymes were observed in
male and female mice administrated with both non-caloric sweeteners.
Histopathological examination in sucralose and stevia administrated groups confirmed
the biochemical results; where it revealed a severe damage in liver and kidney sections.
While, sucrose administration elevated, only, the levels of ALT, AST and cholesterol
in male mice. A vigorous elevation in levels of different immunoglobulin (IgG, IgE and
IgA) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and -8), that was accompanied by a
significant reduction in level of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, was observed in
male and female mice groups administrated with sucralose or stevia. On the other hand,
sucrose administration caused an elevation in IgA and reduction in IL-10 levels.
