Preclinical study of the effects of vitamin-mineral complex use during normal pregnancy in white rats

Abstract

Vitamin-mineral deficiency is quite common in the world, which negatively affects the growth and development of children, provokes the development of chronic pathologies, allergic conditions. Children and pregnant women are particularly sensitive to this condition. Considering the vitamin and elemental composition of each of the drugs, it becomes necessary to examine the effect of various complexes on the body. The purpose of the study is to examine the morphological state of organs from the use of a vitamin-mineral complex during normal pregnancy in white rats and their offspring and examine the elemental analysis of target organs and whole blood. The experiment was conducted on pregnant female white laboratory rats and their offspring to achieve this goal. Histological, ultramicroscopic, morphometric, atomic-absorptic, functional methods, and statistical analysis are used for the study. A positive effect of the vitamin-mineral complex of the selected composition on both pre- and postnatal development of offspring is identified. The average offspring rate increased by 9.79% (p = 0.0443), while the stillbirth rate decreased by 81.82% (p = 0.0324). The absence of negative side effects of the complex on the development of basic reflex and behavioural reactions, motor activity, and cognitive activity of offspring is proved. A positive effect on the morphological characteristics of the liver, brain, heart, and kidneys is evident: the number of full hepatocytes in mature animals increased by 8.17% (p = 0.0482), and in young animals – by 5.03% (p = 0.0137), in the brain tissue of 7-day-old animals, the number of neurons increased by 7.70% (p = 0.0438), and the number of functionally defective neurons decreased. Microelement analysis of organs identified a tendency to increase the amount of a number of trace elements, which was reflected in the improvement of the antioxidant systems pf the body. A positive effect of the complex on the processes of hematopoiesis is noted. The results obtained can become morphological evidence for the choice of correction of macro-, microelement, and vitamin balance, prevention of its deficiency in pregnant women, and prevention of the development of deficient conditions in infants