UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

The increasing use of natural and artificial sweeteners has raised concerns about their metabolic and tissue-level effects during prolonged exposure. This study compared the effects of chronic Stevia, saccharin, and sucralose administration on body weight, blood glucose, serum cholesterol, and liver and kidney histopathology in male Wistar rats. Twenty adult male Wistar rats were randomly allocated to four groups (n = 5 per group): control, Stevia, saccharin, and sucralose. Treatments were administered orally once daily for eight weeks. Body weight was recorded during the experimental period, while blood glucose and serum cholesterol were measured at the specified assessment points. Liver and kidney tissues were examined histopathologically. Stevia- and saccharin-treated rats showed greater body weight gain than the sucralose-treated group (P < 0.05). Saccharin was associated with lower blood glucose and serum cholesterol concentrations by the end of the experiment, whereas the sucralose-treated group exhibited the highest final blood glucose level. Histopathological examination identified hepatic and renal alterations in the treated groups, including hepatocellular degeneration, fatty change, vascular congestion, tubular epithelial degeneration, haemorrhagic lesions, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Chronic exposure to the tested sweeteners was therefore associated with distinct metabolic responses and reported tissue alterations. These findings indicate that changes in biochemical parameters alone may not fully reflect tissue-level effects and should be interpreted cautiously when considering prolonged sweetener exposure.