IKHAYERE EZEKIEL MIRACLE

The impact of dietary fats on cardiovascular health is of growing concern, particularly in regions where red palm oil is a staple cooking fat. This study investigates the effect of frying an egg with red palm oil on egg cholesterol levels and its influence on the lipid profile and heart histology of Wistar rats. Sixteen female Wistar rats were divided into four dietary groups fried egg with red oil, raw cholesterol, positive control, and negative control. After 42 days, lipid profile analysis on some lipid (total cholesterol and triglyceride) revealed that the fried egg with red oil group had a total cholesterol level of (251.90 ± 2.64 mg/dL), which was significantly lower than the raw cholesterol group (307.63 ± 7.74 mg/dL). Triglyceride levels also varied, with the fried egg group showing (554.19 ± 9.16 mg/dL), compared to (577.09 ± 9.53 mg/dL) in the raw cholesterol group. Histological analysis of the heart tissues showed vascular stenosis and
perivascular infiltration in the fried egg with red oil group, while the raw cholesterol group exhibited mild perivascular fibroblast mobilization. These results indicate that frying eggs in red
palm oil alters lipid metabolism and affects cardiovascular health, potentially modifying cholesterol bioavailability. The study highlights the significance of cooking methods in influencing dietary cholesterol impact and underscores the need for further research on the longterm effects of palm oil consumption on heart health.