ABSTRACT
Cadmium is an environmental pollutant that ranked as one of the top toxic substances rampant in many industries such as cement plants and smoke, batteries and others. The present investigation aimed to assess the possible protective effects of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) and Virgin Olive oil (VOO) on rat administrated cadmium chloride (CdCl2). 40 male rats were randomly divided into four groups; 10 rats for each: control group (0.5 ml phosphate-buffered physiological saline orally); Cd-treated group (5mgkg body weight CdCl2 orally); NSO+Cd-treated group (1 mlkg body weight of NSO+ 5mgkg body weight CdCl2 orally); VOO+Cd-treated group (0.5 mlkg body weight of VOO+ 5mgkg body weight of CdCl2 orally). All treatments were administered daily for a period of 4 successive weeks, blood and tissue sample were collected at the end of the experimental period. In all groups, potential injuries in brain and kidney were evaluated by using biochemical parameters and histopathological investigations.
The current study revealed that the administration of CdCl2 induced significant increase in serum creatinine and urea. It also induced significant increase in CAT, SOD, MDA and DNA fragmentation % in brain and kidneys of rats. In addition serum acetyl cholinesterase activity and tissue GSH content were significantly decreased.. The biochemical results were confirmed by histopathological investigations where many lesions were detected in brain and kidneys treated with cadmium. Administration of each of NSO and VOO with CdCl2 showed a significant improvement in the measured biochemical parameters and histopathological pictures. The present study concluded that the VOO and NSO can be used as potentially effective therapeutic agents for workers in factories that their products are contaminated with cadmium particularly cement factories
Key words: Antioxidants, cadmium, Nigella sativa, olive oil, rats.
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