Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515 Ilorin, Nigeria.

Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515 Ilorin, Nigeria.

Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515 Ilorin, Nigeria.

Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515 Ilorin, Nigeria.

Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515 Ilorin, Nigeria.

Early weaning is becoming increasingly common in developing as well as developed populations. The current study investigated the impact of early weaning and administration of a mineral supplement on the structural integrity of the liver as well as the antioxidant capacity of the liver in a premature weaning model of rats. Twelve Wistar rat pups were divided into normally weaned and early-weaned groups. The normally weaned group (Group A) remained with the dam and were separated from the mothers on the 28th day of postpartum. The early-weaned pups, on the other hand, were separated on the 18th day of postpartum and were subdivided into Group B (fed normal rat chow) and Group C (fed 1 ml/kg of a mineral supplement). On the 35th day of postpartum, all the pups were humanely killed. Body masses, liver ratio, and activity of liver antioxidant enzymes were assessed. Premature weaning had no influence on body masses and organ masses (p > 0.05). Liver tissue was normal in all the groups in histological examination. Premature weaning also reduced the levels of markers of oxidative stress, viz., superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), in the liver of the pups (p < 0.005). In the supplemented early-weaned group, SOD and GPx activity was significantly greater in the liver (p < 0.05 and p < 0.5, respectively). Malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation, was significantly greater in the early-weaned Group B than in the normally weaned Group A and the supplemented early-weaned Group C (p < 0.005). Generally, mineral supplementation reduced oxidative damage to the liver as a result of early weaning.