Efficacy of goldenberry in improving obesity-induced hemoglobin conformational structure changes in wistar rats: A biophysical perspective

The relationship between obesity and the conformational structure of hemoglobin (Hb) has not been extensively investigated. This study aims to elucidate the dielectric parameters that distinguish the Hb molecule under obese conditions and following treatment with goldenberry (GB) extract, compared to a control group. The dielectric parameters analyzed include the loss factor (D), relaxation time (τ), dielectric increment (Δε), relative permittivity (έ), dielectric loss (ε"), conductivity (σ), and Cole-Cole parameters (α), measured across a frequency range of 20 Hz to 3 MHz. Significant differences in dielectric parameters were observed between obese rats and those treated with GB extract. Obese rats exhibited higher dielectric values compared to the control group, while rats treated with low and high doses of GB extract showed marked changes in Hb conformational structure. This study highlights the potential of dielectric parameters as biophysical markers for detecting hemoglobin conformational changes. Furthermore, it suggests that dielectric behavior could serve as an early indicator for assessing the severity of obesity and its related complications

Antioxidant Potential of Spirulina platensis

The present study aimed to examine the protective role of Spirulina platensis (S. platensis) against arsenic-induced testicular oxidative damage in rats. Arsenic (in the form of NaAsO2 at a dose of 6.3 mg/kg body weight for 8 weeks) caused a significant accumulation of arsenic in testicular tissues as well as a decrease in the levels of testicular superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione, and zinc. Moreover, it significantly decreased plasma testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) levels and reduced sperm motility and sperm count. Arsenic (AS) led to a significant increase in testicular malondialdehyde (MDA), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), nitric oxide (NO), and sperm abnormalities. S. platensis at a dose of 300 mg/kg was found to attenuate As-induced oxidative stress, testicular damage, and sperm abnormalities by its potent antioxidant activity. S. platensis may represent a potential therapeutic option to protect the testicular tissue from arsenic intoxication

Role of Goldenberry (Fruits with Husk) Extract in Ameliorating the Architecture and Osmotic Fragility of Red Blood Cells in Obese Rats

Goldenberry (GB) is a promising fruit that can be a constituent in many possible nourishments. No notifications were obtained regarding the impact of exposure to goldenberry extract in the viewpoint of blood rheological properties as well as erythrocyte osmotic fragility of red blood cells (RBCs) in obese rats. A substantial reduction in plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL, with a considerable increment in HDL levels relative to the obese group (p≤0.05), was observed in rats receiving low and high doses of GB, accompanied by restoration of SOD activity and GSH levels. Rheological parameters of rats' blood have been studied over a wide range of shear rates (225-1875 s-1). A significant decrease in blood viscosity in rats who received low and high doses of GB extract was compatible with every shear rate compared to the control group. The shear stress values of the obese rats reduced appreciably (p≤0.05) in all values of shear rate (from 75 to 500 s-1) proportional to the control group, while in the groups that received low and high doses of GB extract, shear stress was restored to the control values. Finally, administration of GB extract significantly decreased yield stress and indices of whole blood aggregation, with an extremely substantial increment in flow rate, in rats given low or high doses of GB compared to obese ones. The result also showed a decrease in both the average raised osmotic fragility and the hemolysis rate in rats after supplementation with low and high doses of GB extract

The potency of Thymus vulgaris seed extract in alleviating obesity complications and iron overload in obese rats

Natural products have long been recognized as valuable sources of bioactive compounds in therapeutic agents. Thymus vulgaris, commonly known as thyme and belonging to the Lamiaceae family, is widely distributed and extensively used in Egyptian folk medicine for its antibroncholitic, antispasmodic, carminative, and diuretic properties. However, there is a lack of research on the effects of T. vulgaris seed extract in mitigating obesity-induced iron overload in rats. Given its potent bioactive constituents, this study aimed to investigate the impact of T. vulgaris seed extract on iron overload associated with obesity by evaluating lipid profiles, iron status parameters—including plasma ferritin, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), plasma transferrin, transferrin saturation percentage (TS%), and hepcidin gene expression in adipose tissue. About 30 flavonoids were identified in T. vulgaris seed extract using LC-MS. Among these, methoxyflavonoids were the most abundant metabolites. The administration of T. vulgaris seed extract to obese rats resulted in significant reductions in anthropometric features, hepcidin gene expression, cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), TIBC, plasma ferritin, leptin, and iron and copper content in adipose tissue. Moreover, treatment with T. vulgaris extract led to a notable decrease in interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels (76.33 ± 4.31 ng/L and 40.83 ± 1.82 ng/L for low and high doses, respectively) compared to the obese control group (110.83 ± 5.82 ng/L). Conversely, plasma adiponectin levels were significantly increased with T. vulgaris supplementation (123.6 ± 7.9 µg/L and 217.4 ± 6.1 µg/L for low and high doses, respectively) compared to the obese group (54.6 ± 4.9 µg/L). Additionally, adipose tissue zinc levels were significantly elevated in response to T. vulgaris supplementation (2.54 ± 0.20 µg/g and 3.75 ± 0.14 µg/g for low and high doses, respectively) compared to the obese group (1.45 ± 0.23 µg/g). Our findings suggest that T. vulgaris could be a promising novel therapeutic agent for managing obesity-induced iron overload

Chemical Profile of Cyperus laevigatus and Its Protective Effects against Thioacetamide-Induced Hepatorenal Toxicity in Rats

Cyperus species represent a group of cosmopolitan plants used in folk medicine to treat several diseases. In the current study, the phytochemical profile of Cyperus laevigatus ethanolic extract (CLEE) was assessed using UPLC-QTOF–MS/MS. The protective effect of CLEE at 50 and 100 mg /kg body weight (b.w.) was evaluated on hepatorenal injuries induced by thioacetamide (100 mg/kg) via investigation of the extract’s effects on oxidative stress, inflammatory markers and histopathological changes in the liver and kidney. UPLC-QTOF–MS/MS analysis of CLEE resulted in the identification of 94 compounds, including organic and phenolic acids, flavones, aurones, and fatty acids. CLEE improved the antioxidant status in the liver and kidney, as manifested by enhancement of reduced glutathione (GSH) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), in addition to the reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG). Moreover, CLEE positively affected oxidative stress parameters in plasma and thwarted the depletion of hepatorenal ATP content by thioacetamide (TAA). Furthermore, treatment of rats with CLEE alleviated the significant increase in plasma liver enzymes, kidney function parameters, and inflammatory markers. The protective effect of CLEE was confirmed by a histopathological study of the liver and kidney. Our results proposed that CLEE may reduce TAA-hepatorenal toxicity via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties suppressing oxidative stress

The beneficial effect of natural antioxidants from olive oil with fig and date palm fruit extracts on biochemical and hematological parameters in rats during diethylnitrosamine-induced carcinogenesis

Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) is a well-known carcinogen. The aim of our study was to determine the role of olive oil (7 g/kg) with fig (1 g/kg) (OF) and (or) date palm (1 g/kg) (D) fruit extracts during DEN treatment of male Wistar rats. The OF–DEN and (or) D–DEN groups were given oral antioxidants daily for two weeks before and during DEN treatment (21 weeks). The DEN-treated group showed dramatic results for all investigated parameters as compared with the control rats. All OF–DEN and D–DEN groups showed significant improvement in hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, reduced glutathione, and nitric oxide concentration in the liver tissue, in addition to improvement in serum vascular endothelial growth factor level, alpha-fetoprotein, lipid profile, lipid risk ratios, and the hematological parameters as compared with the DEN-treated group. In conclusion, the administration of OF and (or) D fruit extracts to DEN-treated rats resulted in a considerable improvement in the investigated biochemical and hematological parameters. In addition, the combined OFD treatments showed greater improvements revealing the synergistic effect of the combination

The beneficial effect of natural antioxidants from olive oil with fig and date palm fruit extracts on biochemical and hematological parameters in rats treated with doxorubicin and γ-radiation

The goal of this study was to determine the possible beneficial effect of olive oil (7 g/kg) with fig (1 g/kg) and date palm fruit (1 g/kg) extracts (OFD) on the toxicity hazards of doxorubicin (DOX) and (or) γ-radiation. The DOX-treated groups received doses of 2.5 mg/kg body weight via intravenous (IV) injection weekly for four consecutive weeks. Rats in the irradiated groups were exposed to whole-body γ-radiation with fractioned doses of 2 Gy weekly for four consecutive weeks. The OFD-treated groups received two weeks of pretreatment with OFD and daily supplementation via oral gavage during the experimental period. The DOX-treated and (or) irradiated groups showed decreases in the antioxidant parameters (reduced glutathione and nitric oxide) as well as increased lipid peroxidation products. In addition, we observed changes in the lipid profile parameters, lipid risk ratios, and hematological values (erythrocyte (RBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, hematocrit (Hct) percentage, platelet count, and total and differential leukocyte (WBC) count) in these groups compared with the control rats. The administration of OFD to DOX-treated and (or) irradiated rats significantly ameliorated the oxidative stress markers, lipid profile, risk ratios, and hematological parameters. In conclusion, OFD could be used synergistically to decrease the negative side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy

Role of zinc oxide nanoparticles in alleviating hepatic fibrosis and nephrotoxicity induced by thioacetamide in rats

The present research studied the influence of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs; 5, 7.5, and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) on the liver and kidney injuries motivated by thioacetamide (TAA; 100 mg/kg, i.p.). Each treatment was carried out 3 times per week for 8 weeks. ZnO-NPs relieved the decrease of hepatic or renal reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) induced by TAA. Moreover, ZnO-NPs lowered tissue malondialdehyde (MDA, an indicator for lipid peroxidation). TAA treatment led to a significant increase in plasma inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-6), liver enzymes (gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and kidney function parameters (creatinine, urea, uric acid). However, these parameters were reduced after treatment with ZnO-NPs. In addition, the hepatic fibrosis markers, hydroxyproline level, and α-smooth muscle actin immunopositive stain were lowered by ZnO-NPs. The protective effect of ZnO-NPs in respect to biochemical changes was also confirmed by histopathological and immunohistochemistry studies in the liver and kidney sections. Our results suggested that ZnO-NPs may attenuate TAA toxicity via suppression of oxidative stress. </jats:p

Protective Effect of Gallic Acid Against Thioacetamide Induced Metabolic Dysfunction of Lipids and Hepatic and Renal Toxicity

Abstract BackgroundGallic acid (GA) has a potential antioxidant bio-activity and inhibits diet-induced hypertriglyceridemia with reducing the size of adipocytes. GA also was found to increase the uptake of glucose by cell.MethodsThe present research studied the influence of gallic acid (GA) (100mg, 200 mg/Kg orally) on the liver and kidney injuries motivated by thioacetamide (TAA; 100 mg/Kg IP). The treatment of TAA was carried out three times weekly for eight weeks, while gallic acid was given daily. ResultsGA relieved the decrease of hepatic or renal reduced glutathione (GSH) or increase of malondialdehyde (MDA, an indicator for lipid peroxidation) induced by TAA. TAA treatment led to a significant increase in plasma inflammatory markers (TNF-α, CRP), liver enzymes (Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and kidney function parameters (creatinine, urea, uric acid). However, these parameters were reduced after treatment with GA. Moreover, GA reduced the significant decline in plasma protein induced by TAA. In addition, the hepatic fibrosis or histopathological changes of the liver and kidney were lowered by GA. ConclusionOur results suggested that GA may attenuate TAA induced liver and kidney toxicity via suppression of oxidative stress.</jats:p

Biological Trace Element Research / The preventive effect of zinc sulfate against olanzapine-induced testicular toxicity in male rats

Male infertility is a complex and multifactorial clinical condition affecting a large population attributed to several factors, including perturbation in oxidative stress and the level of essential trace elements. Oxidative stress exerts multiple issues related to reproductive health, including male infertility, decreased sperm motility, sperm DNA damage, and an increased susceptibility to genetic disorders. Besides chemical toxins and food allergens in junk food items, many drugs can also lead to male infertility. Olanzapine (OLZ), a general antipsychotic drug, has also been reported to induce male fertility. A great deal of literature entails that supplementation of zinc can alleviate oxidative stress–related clinical complications, including male infertility. This study investigates the potential protective effects of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) on OLZ-induced male infertility. In the present study, there were four treatment groups (n = 6): group 1 as control (without any treatment); group 2 treated with OLZ (10 mg/kg) orally daily for 6 weeks; groups 3 and 4 treated with 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg of ZnSO4 respectively in pre-exposed OLZ (10 mg/kg) orally daily for 6 weeks. After completion of the treatment, the biochemical analysis of serum and tissue samples demonstrated that group 2 had compromised levels of antioxidant parameters (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and reduced glutathione (GSH)) as well as elevated levels of stress parameters (oxidized glutathione (GSSG), malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitric oxide (NO)) as compared to the control by a significant extent (p ≤ 0.05). However, supplementation of ZnSO4 significantly corrected all these parameters in a dose-dependent way in groups 3 and 4 (p ≤ 0.05). Other health indicators, like taurine, enzyme Q10, phosphatidylcholine, ascorbic acid, and vitamin E, were also observed to improve prominently with the supplementation of ZnSO4. Intriguingly, all the fertility parameters (sperm motility, count and level of testosterone) were also found to be significantly enhanced with decreased sperm abnormalities in both the combination groups. The histological evaluation of the testis section also agreed with the biochemical analysis in this investigation. Therefore, the study strongly advocates that supplementation of Zn can ameliorate OLZ-induced male infertility to a significant extent