Abstract
Background and Objective: Date palm fruit is potassium-rich and widely consumed in the Middle East in general and Saudi Arabia in particular. Hence, the possibility for food-drug interaction exists when concurrently used with a potassium-sparing medicine such as lisinopril. The objective was to investigate the effect of concurrent administration of date palm fruits with lisinopril on serum potassium levels in male rabbits. Materials and Methods: A non-randomized controlled study with 12 male rabbits divided into 3 groups (dates only-I), (lisinopril plus dates-II) and (lisinopril plus normal feed-III). The rabbits in group I andII were each fed on 25 g of dried dates daily, while group III was fed ad libitum on feed for 6 days. About 2 mg kg(-1) day(-1) of lisinopril was administered to group II and III daily for 6 days. Blood samples were analyzed for serum potassium with atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results: Serum potassium increased from the baseline to day 3 in all the three experimental groups, but this increase reached statistical significance in only the lisinopril+date group (group II) (p<0.05). The serum potassium level declined from day 3 to day 6 in all the three experimental groups. Conclusion: Co-administration of date fruits with lisinopril in male rabbits significantly increase the serum level of potassium and may be potentially harmful in kidney-related co-morbidities.