Effects of EDTA Addition During Fava Bean Cooking on Health Parameters in Rats

The present study investigated the effects of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) ingestion, both directly and when incorporated during the cooking of Egyptian fava beans, on the health of rats. Twenty-four healthy adult female albino rats (Sprague-Dawley strain, 156 ± 3 g) were divided into four groups: a negative control group and three experimental groups receiving either a low dose, a high dose, or EDTA incorporated with fava beans during cooking. The experimental period lasted for 60 days.Results demonstrated that EDTA administration caused a significant decline in several nutritional and biochemical parameters, including serum total protein, albumin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), hemoglobin (Hb), and antioxidant enzyme activity. In contrast, there was a notable increase in glucose, total bilirubin, creatinine, urea, and the albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio. Liver enzyme activities—AST, ALT, ALP, and GGT—were significantly elevated, indicating hepatic stress. Moreover, serum cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDLc), triglycerides, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were markedly increased compared with the control group, suggesting oxidative stress and lipid metabolism disturbances.Histopathological examinations revealed moderate to severe pathological alterations in liver and kidney tissues of rats exposed to EDTA, regardless of the dose or method of administration. These findings confirm the biochemical results, indicating that EDTA exposure adversely affects the liver and kidney functions through biochemical, physiological, and structural disruptions.