The feeding of coconut oil (CNO) at a level of 20% in terms of energy to normal rats for a month increased significantly blood sugar and lipids and protein content and lipid peroxidation in tissues (viz. Heart, liver and kidney) and enhanced the activities of aspartate and alanine aminotransferases and alkaline phosphatase in serum. Oral administration of garlic oil (100 mg/kg body wt) or cake (5% by weight in the diet) to CNO fed groups as above ameliorated the deranged parameters significantly. The results suggest that garlic oil and cake contain certain active principles that counteract the deleterious effects of CNO. Garlic oil is a better therapeutic agent than its oil free cake. This may be due to the high quantity of biologically active organosulphur compounds present in the former than that in the latter. However the cake can be used by those who do not like the odor of the oil.

Effect of lead on germination, growth, chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll contents in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) cv. Priya was studied in a hydroponic system using Shive and Robbins Medium incorporating 2, 4, 6, 10, 14, 20, 30 and 40 ppm lead. Due to lead toxicity, reduction in seed germination from 47 to 90%, shoot growth from 29 to 52%, root growth from 13 to 59%, leaf area from 22 to 69% and chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll contents from 16 to 57% were recorded. Morphologically, all the treatments above 14 ppm showed stunted growth, chlorosis and reduction in leaf area. It is suggested that chlorophyll content can be adopted as a very useful in vivo indicator of heavy metal toxicity for calculating the upper critical tissue concentrations.