SILVA, Adriana Eleuterio da.
Abstract:
In recent years we have seen an increase in consumption of diet and light foods for teens or those who are looking for low-calorie foods. In Brazil, the sweeteners most traded are saccharin, sodium cyclamate and aspartame. However, consumption of aspartame still generates controversy, as many contradictory and inconclusive data. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementation of aspartame on food intake, physical, biochemical and histopathological parameters in eighteen adolescent Wistar male rats, with five weeks of life and treated during 21 days. The animals were randomly and divided into two groups: Control-treated with distilled water by gavage group (GC) and aspartame group (GA)-treated with a solution containing 50 mg / kg of aspartame. All animals received a commercial chow (Essence ®) and water ad libitum. Food intake was measured weekly. The following physical parameters were measured: body weight, torax circumference, abdominal circumference, length vertex-coccyx, total abdominal fat and body mass index; biochemical glycemia, Hight - Density Lipoproteins, triglycerides; and histopathological analysis of the liver. Throughout the experiment the rats treated with aspartame showed a significant increase in body weight and food intake in the first, second and third week compared to the control group. There was no difference in the physical, biochemical and histopathological parameters analyzed (P <0.05). From the results obtained it is possible to infer a greater chance of developing obesity, by teens who use this type of sweetener regularly, since it stimulates food intake, which provides an increase in food intake and consequently weight gain corporeal.
