Effect of Chronic Consumption of Nutmeg on the Stomach of Adult Wistar Rats

Nutmeg is commonly used as a spice in various dishes; it is a component of teas and soft drinks, and can also be mixed in milk and alcohol. In this study, we investigated the effect of chronic consumption of nutmeg on the stomach of adult Wistar rats. Rats of both sexes (n = 24), with an average weight of 200 g, were randomly assigned into two treatment groups (A and B, n = 8 for each group) and one control group (C, n = 8). The rats in the treatment groups received 1 g of nutmeg in group A and 2 g of nutmeg in group B. The nutmeg was thoroughly mixed with feed and given daily for 32 days. Group C received an equal amount of feed daily without nutmeg for 32 days. The rats had free access to water. On day 33 of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. The stomachs were carefully dissected out and immediately fixed in 10% formal saline for histological study. Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that rats in groups A and B showed varying degrees of distortion in the epithelial cells of the stomach. Obvious signs of proliferation, hyperplasia, and atrophic changes in the treated stomach sections were more marked in group B than in the other groups. These findings indicate that nutmeg may have some deleterious effects on the microanatomy of the stomach of adult Wistar rats.