Narmeen Abdullah Ali Al-Sabaawi , Buthaina Jasim Yousif

Department of Biology, College Council of Education for Pure Sciences, Tikrit University, Iraq;

For correspondence:-  Narmeen Al-Sabaawi   Email: naaueps56@st.tu.edu.iq

Received: 21 May 2026        Accepted: 20 October 2026        Published: 31 October 2026

Citation: Al-Sabaawi NA, Yousif BJ. Genetic and biochemical studies on the effects of potassium benzoate and potassium nitrate on laboratory rats. Trop J Pharm Res 2026; 25(10):1353-1363 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v25i10.3

© 2026 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the biochemical and molecular effects of potassium nitrate (KNO?) and potassium benzoate (C?H?KO?), administered separately at two dose levels, on liver and kidney functions, and the expression of selected oxidative stress- and inflammation-related genes in female Wistar rats. Methods: Thirty-two female Wistar rats were randomly assigned to eight groups, with four rats in each group. The animals were orally administered potassium nitrate or potassium benzoate at doses of 0.01 and 0.06 mg/kg for 28 days. At the end of treatment, blood samples were collected for assay of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), urea, and creatinine. Following total RNA extraction, the relative gene expression levels of p53, CAT, and TNF-α in liver tissues were determined using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results: Most treated groups exhibited downregulation of p53, whereas CAT expression showed variable changes depending on treatment group and dose. Potassium nitrate generally induced significantly higher TNF-α expression than potassium benzoate, indicating a stronger inflammatory response. Biochemical analysis showed mild alterations in liver and kidney function markers: increased urea and ALP in some treatment groups, while serum creatinine, ALT, AST, and GGT generally remained within physiological ranges. Conclusion: Repeated oral administration of potassium nitrate and potassium benzoate to rats produced measurable molecular alterations accompanied by mild biochemical changes. Potassium nitrate exerts more pronounced increases in the expression of inflammatory genes than potassium benzoate. However, there is a need to validate these findings using long-term investigations.

Keywords: Gene expression, Oxidative stress, Potassium benzoate, Potassium nitrate, Wistar rats

Impact Factor
Thompson Reuters (ISI): 0.6 (2023)
H-5 index (Google Scholar): 49 (2023)