Nephroprotective effect of Gallic acid against mercuric chloride (HgCl2) induced damage in rats

Introduction: Mercury has hematotoxic, hepatotoxic, neurotoxic, nephrotoxic and genotoxic effects. Tissue damage induced by mercuric chloride (HgCl2) is associated with the promotion of oxidative stress. In this study, Gallic acid (GA), as potent antioxidant compound, was examined against mercuric chloride (HgCl2)-induced kidney injury in Wistar rats. Methods and Results: In this experimental study, animals were divided into five groups (n=7). Groups 1 and 2 respectively received normal saline (2 ml/kg, orally.) and HgCl2 (0.4 mg/kg, orally) for 28 consecutive days. Group 3 only received GA (200 mg/kg, orally) for 28 consecutive days. Groups 4 and 5 received orally GA at doses of 50 and 200 mg/kg, respectively, one hour after administration of HgCl2 for 28 consecutive days. Then On the 29th day, the rats were sacrificed, and blood samples were collected to determine biochemical parameters such as serum creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. For oxidative stress evaluation, malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and also catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were evaluated in left kidney tissue. The right kidney was used for histological examination. The results obtained from our study showed a significant increase in the levels of MDA, Cr and BUN, and decrease of GSH, CAT and SOD after ingestion of HgCl2 (p<0.05). Pre-treatment with GA showed diminished in the levels of MDA, Cr and BUN and enhanced of GSH, CAT, GPx and SOD activity (p<0.05). Additionally the nephroprotective effect of the GA was established by the histological evaluation of the kidneys. Conclusions: Our results indicate that GA has protective effect against HgCl2-induced renal damage probably by scavenging free radicals, reducing the oxidative stress, and increasing the antioxidant defense mechanism

Determination of the Mutagenicity Potential of Supermint Herbal Medicine by Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis in Rat Hepatocytes

Purpose: The increasing use of herbal drugs and their easy availability have necessitated the use of mutagenicity test to analyze their toxicity and safety. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxicity of Supermint herbal medicine in DNA breakage of rat hepatocytes in comparison with sodium dichromate by single cell gel electrophoresis technique or comet assay. Methods: Hepatocytes were prepared from male wistar rats and were counted and kept in a bioreactor for 30 minutes. Then cells were exposed to the Supermint herbal medicine at doses of 125, 250 and 500 μl/ml. Buffer 4 (incubation buffer) and sodium dichromate were used as negative and positive control for one hour respectively. Then cell suspension with low melting point agarose were put on precoated slides and covered with agarose gel. Then lysing, electrophoresis, neutralization and staining were carried out. Finally the slides were analyzed with fluorescence microscope. The parameter under this analysis was the type of migration which was determined according to Kobayashi pattern. Results: With increased dose of Supermint herbal medicine the DNA damage was slightly increased (P<0001). Conlusion: In overall compared to the positive control significant differences is observed which convinced that the crude extract of Supermint in vitro did not have mutagenic effect

Optimization of Aflatoxin B1 Aptasensing

Combination of aptamers with DNAzymes attracted intense attention for development of DNA-based biosensors for detection of mycotoxins. In the present study a combination of aflatoxin B1 specific aptamer and HRP- (horseradish peroxidase-) mimicking DNAzyme was optimized for detecting aflatoxin B1. Detecting approach is based on the binding affinity of aflatoxin B1 to its specific aptamer and conversion of substrate to a detectable colorimetric signal by a linked DNAzyme. Compared to conventional methods for aflatoxin B1 detection, DNA-based assay has the advantages of low cost, long-term stability, and rapid, simple, and user-friendly steps

The Effects of the Toxicity of (Fe (so4).7H2o) on the isolated Mitochondria from the brain of rat

Introduction: Iron, through the reaction of Fenton, generates free radicals such as active oxygen radicals and activates the oxidative stress pathway. The oxidative stress due to the increased iron level in the brain regions plays &nbsp;an important role in creation of neurodegenerative diseases. Methods and Results:In this study, the mitochondria of the brain tissue of Wild Wistar Rat isolated from various centrifuge rounds and with the concentrations of Fe (so4).7H2o were incubated at 30 and 60 minutes. To determine IC50 Fe (so4).7H2o, the mitochondrial survival ratio was measured by MTT test. Mitochondrial suspension with the concentration of 0.5 mg protein/ml at various concentrations of Fe (so4).7H2o was placed in a shaker incubator at 37° C for 30 and 60 minutes. Then the activity of mitochondrial complex 2 and the formation ratio of reactive oxygen species was investigated. The results showed that IC50 ratio for Fe (so4).7H2o was 20 and 5 μg/ml at 30 and 60 minutes, respectively, and mitochondria incubation isolated from the brain tissue of the rat with Fe (so4).7H2o can disrupt be the electron transfer chain and significantly increases the formation of reactive oxygen species compared to the control group (P &lt;0.001). Conclusions:The findings of this study indicate that Fe (so4).7H2o disrupts electron transfer chain in the mitochondria and causes increasing ROS production. This excessive increase of ROS can activate the oxidative stress pathway and ultimately activate the cell toxicity pathways

Survey of the Presence of Nivalenol and Deoxynivalenol in Wheat Flour Factories of Khuzestan Province, Iran: presence of Nivalenol and Deoxynivalenol in wheat flour

Background: Wheat is frequently contaminated by deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV), which are type B trichothecenes produced by Fusarium fungi. Most problems related to these contaminants involve prolonged feed intake at low levels of contamination. This study investigated the occurrence of NIV and deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat flour in flour factories in Khuzestan Providence, Iran. Methods: In total, 104 samples were collected in this study. An acetonitrile/water mixture (84:16, v/v) was used to extract the samples. The extracts were filtered and purified using a Whatman No. 4 paper and MycoSepTM 227 column. Then, they were evaporated to dryness at 40˚C under a nitrogen stream. After dissolving the dry residue in the mobile phase, containing a mixture of methanol, acetonitrile, and water (5:5:90, v/v/v), the contents of NIV and DON in the samples were measured in High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system with a column C18 (150 mm×4.6 mm ID, 5 µm) and a UV detector (220 nm). Results: The results showed that among 104 wheat flour samples, 28 (26.8%) and 54 (51.9%) samples were contaminated with NIV and DON, respectively. The mean and maximum concentrations were 118.75 and 2278 ng/g for NIV, and 593 and 67.88 ng/g for DON, respectively. Conclusion: Based on the findings, DON and NIV had significantly lower concentrations than the maximum tolerated level (1 µg/g), established by the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran. Therefore, there were no health risks for consumers at the studied contamination levels

Chemical composition and antifungal effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Allium tripedale (Tvautv.) against Candida species

Background and Purpose: Treatment of life-threatening fungal infections caused by Candida species has become a major problem. Candida spp. are the most important causative agents of candidiasis. Allium tripedale is a medicinal plant that has been traditionally used to treat infections. In the present study, we aimed to determine the chemical compounds and antimicrobial activity of hydroalcoholic extract of A.tripedale against different species of Candida. Materials and Methods: Phytochemical analysis was performed to identify the possible bioactive components of this extract by using gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The hydroalcoholic extract of A. tripedale were collected.Different concentrations of A. tripedale (50, 25, 12.5, and 6.25 mg/ml) were used to evaluate its antifungal activity against Candida species (C. albicans, C. parapsilosis,and C. krusei) using disk diffusion assay. Results: The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 40 different phytoconstituents with peak area; the major compounds were tetracosane, hexadecanoic acid, 1-eicosanol, 1,2-dihydro-pyrido[3,2,1-kl]phenothiazin-3-one, 2-hexadecen-1-ol, and 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl. Hydroalcoholic extract showed strong antimicrobial activity (inhibition zone ⩾ 20 mm), moderate antimicrobial activity (inhibition zone < 12-20 mm), and no inhibition (zone < 12 mm). In addition, the hydroalcoholic extract exhibited the highest antimicrobial properties against C. albicans strains. Conclusion: A. tripedale extract had a considerable inhibitory effect against various Candida species, but its highest inhibitory effect was against Candid albicans. Further investigations are required to detect the performance of this plant in the treatment of Candida infection. &nbsp

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Capparis spinosa L. fractions and Quercetin on tert-butyl hydroperoxide- induced acute liver damage in mice

The present study investigates the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Capparis spinosa L. and Quercetin in tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) induced acute liver damage. Different fractions of C. spinosa were examined for total phenolic content and antioxidant property. Among these fractions, hydroalcoholic extract was used to assess the hepatoprotective effect in tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) induced hepatotoxicity model by determining serum biochemical markers, sleeping time and antioxidant assay such as reduced glutathione (GSH) as well as histopathological examination of liver tissues. The total phenolic and Quercetin contents of hydroalcoholic fraction were significantly higher than other fractions. It also showed high antioxidant activity. Pretreatment with hydroalcoholic fraction at the dose of 400 mg/kg and Quercetin at the dose of 20 mg/kg showed liver protection against t-BHP induced hepatic injury, as it was evident by a significant decrease in serum enzymes marker, sleeping time and MDA and an increase in the GSH, SOD and CAT activities confirmed by pathology tests. The final results ascertained the hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of C. spinosa and Quercetin in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, this study suggests that possible mechanism of this protection may be associated with its property of scavenging free radicals which may be due to the presence of phenolic compounds

Study of the Protective Effect of Livergol against Liver Toxicity Caused by Bromobenzene in Mice: Hepatoprotective effect of livergol

Liver is a major organ of the body which can be exposed to various chemicals, drugs, and many other xenobiotics such as bromobenzene. Bromobenzene must be converted to its active metabolites to produce liver and kidney toxicity. Livergol is an herbal product which contains silymarin. The objective of this study was to find out the protective effect of livergol against liver toxicity induced by bromobenzene in mice. In this study, doses: 50, 100, 200, 300 mg/kg of livergol were administrated to mice orally 2 hours after bromobenzene(460 mg/kg) administration for 7 days (test groups). The negative control group received normal saline. The positive control group received 460 mg/kg of bromobenzene orally. 24 hours after the last administration animals were sacrificed; their blood was collected to determine serum enzyme activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) , alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The livers were removed for histological examination.The results showed that livergol at doses 200 and 300 mg/kg cause significant reduction in the level of enzymes (p &gt; 0.05). The histopathological study of liver tissues showed that doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg are more effectively restore tissue damage to the normal state. Our finding indicated that livergol in the high doses (200 and 300 mg/kg) have protective effects and cause significant improvement in the liver tissue and biochemical markers in bromobenzene intoxicated mice

Determination of Iron and Chromium Levels in Canned Fish Produced in Factories of Khuzestan Province, Southwest of Iran

Background: The heavy metal pollutions were accumulated in aquatic animals such as fish. Whereas consumption of canned fish is increased in many countries, contaminated fish meat would make a hazard to food security and public health. In this study, the levels ofiron and chromium were measured in canned fish products in in Khuzestan, Iran, in 2015. Methods: Forty-six of canned fish composite samples were analyzed for levels of iron and chromium after dry digestion and then determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Results: The mean concentrations of A and B canned brandsfor iron were 4.6504348 and 0.1908696 and for chromium were 1.36030435 and 0.67629565, respectively. There were significant differences in the iron and chromium levels between two brands of canned fishes (P<0.05).Varieties of canned fishes were within FAO/WHO, U.S. FDA, U.S. EPA and U.K for iron and chromium. Conclusion: According to US EPA health criteria for carcinogens, there was no health risk to chromium in canned fish